Peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds and methods of their use

ABSTRACT

The present description provides compositions and methods for producing therapeutic oligomeric compounds. In another aspect the description provides methods for administering the oligomeric compounds for the treatment and prevention of disease in a mammal. In particular, the invention relates to medicaments comprising various novel oligomeric compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds of the invention may optionally be administered with at least one of a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, additional pharmacologically active agent or a combination thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) this application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/868,128 filed 21 Aug. 2013 titled: Oligourea Foldamer Organocatalysts and Methods of Their Use; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/887,651 filed 7 Oct. 2013 titled: Peptide-Oligourea Chimeric Compounds and Methods of Their Use, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present description relates to peptide/oligourea chimeric compounds, their synthesis, and use for treating diseases or disorders. In particular, the description provides chimeric compounds comprising a polypeptide portion, e.g., α-amino acid polypeptide, contiguous with, coupled or linked to an oligourea (i.e., oligomers of amino acids having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit).

BACKGROUND

Interactions between proteins and/or their substrates or ligands are critical for normal cell function, physiologic signal transduction, as well as for therapeutic intervention in many pathophysiologic or disease-related processes. Proteins and peptides are capable of adopting compact, well-ordered conformations, and performing complex chemical operations, e.g., catalysis, highly selective recognition, etc. The three dimensional structure is the principal determinant that governs specificity in protein-protein and/or protein-substrate interactions. Thus, the conformation of peptides and proteins is central for their biological function, pharmaceutical efficacy, and their therapeutic preparation.

Protein folding is inextricably linked to function in both proteins and peptides because the creation of an “active site” requires proper positioning of reactive groups. Consequently, there has been a long-felt need to identify synthetic polymer or oligomers, which display discrete and predictable (i.e., stable) folding and oligomerizing propensities (hereinafter referred to as “foldamers”) to mimic natural biological systems. Insofar as these unnatural backbones are resistant to the action of proteases and peptidases, they are useful as probes having constrained conformational flexibility or as therapeutics with improved pharmacological properties, e.g., pharmacokinetic (PK) and/or pharmacodynamics (PD) features, such as potency and/or half-life. Whereas a naturally occurring polypeptide comprised entirely of α-amino acid residues will be readily degraded by any number of proteases and peptidases, foldamers, including chimeras of natural peptides and synthetic amino acid derivatives, mimetics or pseudopeptides, are not.

As noted above, the interest in foldamers stems in part from their resistance to enzymatic degradation. They are also interesting molecules because of their conformational behavior. The elucidation of foldamers having discrete conformational propensities akin to those of natural proteins has led to explorations of peptides constructed from β-, γ-, or δ-amino acids. γ-Peptides containing residues bearing γ-substitution or α, γ-disubstitution or α, β, γ-trisubstitution have been shown to adopt a helical conformation defined by a 14-member turn that is stabilized by C═O_((i))→NH_((i+3)) hydrogen bonds (see FIG. 1). Both the 3₁₄ and 2.5₁₂ helical backbones have been found suitable for the design of stabilized helical peptides useful for therapeutic purposes. For example, in order to cluster polar residues on one face of the helix, amphiphilic 3₁₄-helical β-peptides have been constructed from hydrophobic-cationic-hydrophobic- or hydrophobic-hydrophobic-cationic residue triads.

Despite many structure-activity studies, lead optimization remains challenging because sequence modifications of α-peptides generally affect several parameters at the same time. Accordingly, a need persists in the art for therapeutic peptides with improved properties.

SUMMARY

The present description relates to the surprising and unexpected discovery that α-peptide/modified or peptidomimetic chimeric compounds, i.e., compounds having a natural or alpha amino acid (poly)peptide portion contiguous with or covalently coupled to at least one amino acid analog, demonstrate enhanced or improved properties relative to the parental or cognate “natural” peptide. In particular, the description provides chimeric compounds comprising a portion or sequence of alpha amino acids (i.e., an “α-peptide”) covalently coupled to at least one oligourea residue, e.g., a 1,2-ethylene diamine residue having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit, and oligomers thereof. As such, the present description provides α-peptide/oligourea chimeric compounds, methods of making, and using the same.

Oligoureas represent interesting classes of peptidomimetic foldamers that have previously received little attention. The chimeric compounds as described herein improve at least one PK and/or PD characteristic of the natural peptide. Because the chimeric compounds as described herein can adopt desired secondary structures similar to native peptides, including, e.g., linear, cyclic or helicoidal structures, they can serve as, for example, receptor ligands, effector molecules, agonists, antagonists, modulators of protein-protein interactions, organocatalysts or enzymes.

In one aspect, the description provides peptide-oligourea compounds that comprise at least one substitution of an α-amino acid of the parent peptide sequence with an oligourea residue. In certain embodiments, the oligourea residue is substituted with an identical or homologous (i.e., conservative change) proteinogenic amino acid side chain.

In additional aspects, the description provides peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds in which oligourea residues replace amino acids in the carboxy terminus, amino terminus, in between the termini or a combination thereof. Thus, the oligourea residues are coupled, joined to or contiguous with the α-peptide amino acid backbone. In certain embodiments, the oligourea residues are “fused” to a terminus, e.g., amino terminus, carboxy terminus or both, of an α-amino acid peptide. In certain embodiments, the oligourea residues are substituted with an identical or homologous (i.e., conservative change) proteinogenic amino acid side chain.

In any aspect or embodiment described herein, the oligourea portion of the chimeric compound comprises at least one peptidomimetic oligourea residue, for example, a 1,2-ethylene diamine residue having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit, and oligomers thereof. In certain embodiments, the peptidomimetic oligourea portion further comprises at least one other modified or peptidomimetic amino acid residue, such as, an amino acid analog, e.g., one or more γ-amino acid residue, as well as other members of the γ-peptide superfamily including γ-peptides and oligocarbamates or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the at least one other modified or peptidomimetic amino acid residue is a N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residue or a combination or oligomer thereof.

As described above, in certain aspects, the present description provides chimeric compounds, e.g., foldamers, comprising a natural amino acid peptide (“α-peptide”) portion and an oligourea portion. In certain embodiments, the chimeric compounds comprise a peptide portion or component (i.e., a sequence of natural amino acid residues) contiguous with or coupled to an oligourea pseudopeptide portion or component (i.e., a sequence of oligourea-substituted amino acid residues). In certain embodiments, the peptide portion comprises at least 2 α-amino acids. In certain additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises at least two modified or peptidomimetic amino acid residues having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In certain embodiments, at least one of the modified or pseudoamino acid residues is a N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, a substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, a substituted or unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residue or a combination thereof.

In certain aspects, the description provides peptide-oligourea chimeras that adopt stable secondary structures, including, e.g., linear, cyclic, or helicoidal, tertiary structure, and/or quaternary structures, wherein the chimeras comprise a sequence of amino acids (i.e., a polypeptide) contiguous with or coupled to a sequence of peptidomimetic oligoureas and/or amino acid analog residues. In certain embodiments, the amino acid sequence comprises α-amino acids. In an additional embodiments, the chimeric compound comprises an amino acid sequence contiguous with or coupled to one or more peptidomimetic oligourea residues, wherein the peptidomimetic residue includes a substituted or unsubstituted N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue a γ-amino acid residue, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, and a substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues. In certain embodiments the chimera comprises two or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues. In additional embodiments, the oligourea is substituted with a proteinogenic amino acid side chain.

In certain aspects, the description provides a chimeric ligand compound capable of binding specifically to a target, e.g., a protein such as a receptor or other polypeptide or peptide, or small molecule, similar to the native or natural peptide. In certain embodiments, the chimeric ligand compound comprises a peptide portion coupled to an oligourea portion which includes a plurality of N,N′-linked urea N-2-aminoethyl residues as γ-amino acid residue analogues. In certain embodiments, the peptide portion comprises α-amino acids. In an additional embodiments, the chimeric ligand compound comprises an amino acid sequence contiguous with or coupled to an oligourea portion including one or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues, wherein the peptidomimetic residue is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue as well as isosteric residus such as γ-amino acid residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, and substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues, and a combination thereof. In certain embodiments the chimeric ligand compound comprises two or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues.

In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises at least one acyclic γ-amino acid residue. In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises one or more than one N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue, acyclic γ-amino acid residue or a combination thereof. In any of the embodiments described herein, the oligourea portion of the chimeric compound comprises an isosteric residue such as γ-amino acid residue, substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residue, substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residue, substituted or unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residue or a combination thereof.

In certain aspects, the description provides chimeric compounds comprising a peptide portion coupled to an oligourea portion comprising a plurality of N,N′-linked urea 1,2-ethylene diamine residues. Surprisingly and unexpectedly chimeric compounds as described herein comprising oligoureas or oligourea/γ-peptide or oligourea/oligocarbamate chimeras adopt well-defined helical secondary structures akin to that of α-polypeptides, and can enhance or improve the beneficial properties of the cognate or parental “natural” peptide.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a oligourea portion including a peptidomimetic 1,2-ethylene diamine residue with N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In a preferred embodiment, the peptidomimetic residue a substitute or unsubstituted N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a polypeptide portion including at least one α-, γ-, δ-amino acid, derivative or combination thereof, which is contiguous with or coupled to one or more peptidomimetic 1,2-ethylene diamine residues having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises an oligomer of substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residues.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamer comprises an oligourea portion contiguous with or covalently linked or joined to at least one of the amino terminus (N′), the carboxyl terminus (C′), within the peptide sequence or a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises an oligourea portion covalently linked or joined to the C-terminus of the peptide portion.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, or more carbamoyl or urea-substituted amino residues (e.g., amino acid derivatives with N,N′-linked urea bridging unit). In certain embodiments, the oligourea portion includes one or more γ-amino acid residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, and substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues. In a preferred embodiment, the residues in the oligourea portion are substituted or unsubstited N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residues. In certain embodiments, the aminoethylcarbamoyl residues are substituted with an proteinogenic amino acid side chain.

In additional embodiments, the description provides a peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprising a polypeptide portion and an oligourea portion including at least one substituted, unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue and/or a combination thereof.

In any of the embodiments as described herein, the amino acid derivative, e.g., γ-amino acid analogue, having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit is preferably coupled to the peptide backbone. In still additional embodiments, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a plurality of γ-amino acid related urea units (e.g. N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue) coupled to a terminus of a polypeptide or peptide precursor backbone.

In any aspect or embodiment described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds can further comprise at least one additional chemical modification. In certain embodiments, the chemical modification includes at least one of, for example, acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, glycosylation, prenylation, isoprenylation, farnesylation, geranylation, pegylation, a disulfide bond, or combination thereof.

In an additional aspect, the description provides pharmaceutically acceptable acid and base salt forms of the chimeric compounds described herein.

The peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamers as described herein including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are useful for the preparation of a medicament and/or the treatment of disease in a subject. The compounds of the invention may optionally be administered with at least one of a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, pharmacologically active agent or a combination thereof. As such, in an addition aspect the description provides compositions comprising an effective amount of a peptide-oligourea chimera as described herein, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.

The description also provides methods of treating a disease or disorder or ameliorating the effects of the same comprising the steps of administering to an individual in need thereof, a composition comprising an effective amount of a peptide-oligourea chimera or salt form thereof as described herein, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient, wherein the composition is effective for treating, preventing or ameliorating the effects of the disease or disorder.

In another aspect, the present description provides methods of making and using the peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds as described herein. For example, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds as described herein can be used as a diagnostic agent or a therapeutic agent for the treatment of a disease or condition.

In an additional aspect the present description provides methods of making peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds as described herein. Thus, in one aspect, the present description provides for the synthesis of non-natural amino acids substituted by a wide range of functional R groups including proteinogenic side chains. In another aspect, the description provides peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamers, which comprise non-natural oligourea amino acids (i.e., an amino acid having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit) and or peptoid versions of the same together with natural amino acids, wherein the modified peptides or foldamers form functional biopolymers.

The preceding general areas of utility are given by way of example only and are not intended to be limiting on the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims. Additional objects and advantages associated with the compositions, methods, and processes of the present invention will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the instant claims, description, and examples. For example, the various aspects and embodiments of the invention may be utilized in numerous combinations, all of which are expressly contemplated by the present description. These additional advantages objects and embodiments are expressly included within the scope of the present invention. The publications and other materials used herein to illuminate the background of the invention, and in particular cases, to provide additional details respecting the practice, are incorporated by reference, and for convenience are listed in the appended bibliography.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate several embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures showing illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1. (a) Covalent structure of an examplary oligourea monomer (top) within a N,N′-linked oligourea (bottom). Backbone dihedral angles are marked by curved arrows. R denotes any proteinogenic amino acid side chain. (b) Formula and X-ray structure (right) of oligourea hexamer 1 and antibacterial oligourea octamer 1a.

FIG. 2. (a) Chemical formulae of N-Boc protected activated monomers M1-M3 (top). (b) Solution phase synthesis of oligourea hexamer 1 comprising the same (bottom).

FIG. 3. Solution phase synthesis of α-peptide/oligourea chimeras 2-5 with a oligourea segment attached at the C-terminus of the α-peptide chain.

FIG. 4. Solid-phase synthesis of chimeric α-peptide/oligourea 6 with a oligourea segment attached at the N-terminus of an α-tetrapeptide.

FIG. 5. Formulae of Chimeric α-peptide/oligourea 13-mers 7 and 8.

FIG. 6. Circular dichroism spectra of chimeras 5 and 6 measured in trifluoroethanol (TFE) at 0.2 mM. Results are expressed as molecular ellipticity values in deg·cm²·dmol⁻¹.

FIG. 7. Comparison of anisochronicity values for backbone diastereotopic CH₂ protons (urea segment) extracted from ¹H NMR spectra of chimeras 5 and 6 measured at 400 MHz in CD₃OH.

FIG. 8. (a) Comparison of ¹H NMR Spectra of chimeras 5 and 6 (NH region) measured at 400 MHz in CD₃OD. Amide NHs are in blue, and urea NHs in black. The NH₂ protons of terminal urea (in 5) and terminal amide (in 6) are shown in green. (b) Proton/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments for oligomer 6. Spectra were measured at 400 MHz in CD₃OD.

FIG. 9. X-ray crystal structure of peptide-oligourea chimera 5 with four alpha-amino acids attached to one end of a oligourea 6-mer. The carbon atoms of the alpha-amino acids are in slate blue whereas those of the oligourea are in orange. Dihedral φ and ψ angles of α-amino acid residues match those of a regular α-helix.

FIG. 10. Comparison of ¹H NMR Spectra of chimeras 7 and 8 (NH region) together with ³J(NH, ^(α)CH) coupling constants for residues in the peptide region. Spectra were measured at 400 MHz in CD₃OH. Amide NHs are in blue, and urea NHs in black. The NH2 protons of terminal urea (in 7) and terminal amide (in 8) and are shown in green.

FIG. 11. X-ray crystal structure of peptide-oligourea chimeras 7 and 8 with seven alpha-amino acids joint to a oligourea 6-mer by the C- and N-terminus, respectively. The carbon atoms of the alpha-amino acids are in slate blue whereas those of the oligourea are in orange. Dihedral φ and ψ angles of α-amino acid residues match those of a regular α-helix.

FIG. 12. Formulae of Chimeric α-peptide/oligourea oligomers 9-13.

FIG. 13. Comparison of ¹H NMR Spectra of chimeras 10-13 (NH region) together with ³J(NH, _(α)CH) coupling constants for residues in the peptide region. Spectra were measured at 400 MHz in CD₃OH.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the invention provided to aid those skilled in the art in practicing the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art may make modifications and variations in the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. All publications, patent applications, patents, figures and other references mentioned herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.

In one aspect, the description provides peptide-oligourea compounds that comprise at least one substitution of an α-amino acid of the parent peptide sequence with an oligourea residue. In certain embodiments, the oligourea residue is substituted with an identical or homologous (i.e., conservative change) proteinogenic amino acid side chain.

In additional aspects, the description provides peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds in which oligourea residues replace amino acids in the carboxy terminus, amino terminus, in between the termini or a combination thereof. Thus, the oligourea residues are coupled, joined to or contiguous with the α-peptide amino acid backbone. In certain embodiments, the oligourea residues are “fused” to a terminus, e.g., amino terminus, carboxy terminus or both, of an α-amino acid peptide. In certain embodiments, the oligourea residues are substituted with an identical or homologous (i.e., conservative change) proteinogenic amino acid side chain.

Aliphatic γ-peptides, i.e. oligoamides comprising some or all of γ-amino acid residues, represent an interesting class of peptidomimetic residues that have received little attention previously. Compared to α-amino acids, γ-amino acids are characterized by a greater chemical diversity (seven substitution positions versus three for α-amino acids) and conformational versatility. The γ-peptide backbone can be seen as the prototypic member of a larger family (i.e. γ-peptide superfamily or lineage) of peptidomimetic backbones and combinations thereof, all sharing an isosteric relationship (e.g. oligocarbamates, N,N′-linked oligo(thio)ureas, oligoguanidines, oligomers of β-aminoxy acids, sulfonamidopeptides). Although the constituent units in these backbones are endowed with different properties, their combination may represent an opportunity to generate new heterogeneous backbone oligomers with defined secondary structures, thus further expanding the chemical space of foldamers in the γ-peptide superfamily.

Within the γ-peptide superfamily, the constituent units of different backbones (i.e. amide (for γ-peptide), carbamate (for oligocarbamates) and urea (for oligourea) units) can be combined in various ways to generate new heterogeneous oligomers with well-defined helical secondary structures. For example, oligomers consisting of urea and carbamate or urea and amide linkages arranged in a 1:1 pattern adopt a helical conformation akin to that of urea homoligomers and γ-peptide foldamers. In this case, helix formation is mainly driven by the presence of the urea units whose propensity for folding surpasses that of amide and carbamate units.

The present description relates to the surprising and unexpected discovery that addition or substitution to a peptide with an amino acid analogue or peptidomimetic having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit, e.g., one or more urea linked 1,2-ethylenediamine residues, or oligomers thereof (i.e., oligoureas) can enhance or improve the properties of the peptide precursor. N,N′-linked aliphatic oligoureas such as those described herein are peptidomimetic compounds that adopt well-defined helical secondary structures akin to that of α-polypeptides. The chimeric compounds described herein improve at least one of potency, specificity, stability, pharmacokinetic (PK) and/or pharmacodynamics (PD) profile or combinations thereof, of the peptide precursor, e.g., alpha peptide precursor. The peptidomimetics as described herein are resistant or wholly immune to peptidase and protease degradation and are conformationally restrained. Thus, they are useful as tools to model peptide and protein conformations in aqueous solutions. The compounds are also useful as non-enzymatically degradable probes to mimic protein behavior in solution.

In one aspect, the description provides oligomeric compounds synthesized using the methods of the invention The description also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising effective amounts of said compounds. In other aspects, the description provides therapeutic methods comprising the administration of an effective amount of the compounds of the invention to a mammal in need thereof.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise (such as in the case of a group containing a number of carbon atoms in which case each carbon atom number falling within the range is provided), between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either both of those included limits are also included in the invention.

The following terms are used to describe the present invention. In instances where a term is not specifically defined herein, that term is given an art-recognized meaning by those of ordinary skill applying that term in context to its use in describing the present invention.

The articles “a” and “an” as used herein and in the appended claims are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of’ or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.”

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of’ and “consisting essentially of’ shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the 10 United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from anyone or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a nonlimiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.

The terms “co-administration” and “co-administering” or “combination therapy” refer to both concurrent administration (administration of two or more therapeutic agents at the same time) and time varied administration (administration of one or more therapeutic agents at a time different from that of the administration of an additional therapeutic agent or agents), as long as the therapeutic agents are present in the patient to some extent, preferably at effective amounts, at the same time. In certain preferred aspects of the present invention, one or more of the present compounds described herein, are coadministered in combination with at least one additional bioactive agent. In particularly preferred aspects of the invention, the co-administration of compounds results in synergistic activity and/or therapy.

“Peptides” are typically short chains of amino acid monomers linked by peptide (amide) bonds, the covalent chemical bonds formed when the carboxyl group of one amino acid reacts with the amino group of another. The shortest peptides are dipeptides, consisting of 2 amino acids joined by a single peptide bond, followed by tripeptides, tetrapeptides, etc. A polypeptide is a long, continuous, and unbranched peptide chain.

The term “amino” or “amine” as used herein refers to —NH2 and substituted derivatives thereof wherein one or both of the hydrogens are independently replaced with 20 substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, haloalkyl, fluoro alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, carbocyclyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, aralkyl, hetero aryl, hetero aralkyl, alkylcarbonyl, haloalkylcarbonyl, carbocyclylcarbonyl, fluoroalkylcarbonyl, alkenylcarbonyl, heterocyclylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkynylcarbonyl, aralkylcarbonyl, heteroarylcarbonyl, heteroaralkylcarbonyl and the sulfonyl and sulfinyl groups defined above; or when both hydrogens together are replaced with an alkylene group (to form a ring which contains the nitrogen). Representative examples include, but are not limited to methylamino, acetylamino, and dimethylamino.

“Amino acid” refers to any molecule that contains both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups, and includes any of the naturally occurring amino acids (e.g. Ala, Arg, Asn, Asp, Cys, Glu, Gln, Gly, His, Hyl, Hyp, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val) in D, L, or DL form. The side chains of naturally occurring amino acids are well known in the art and include, for example, hydrogen (e.g., as in glycine), alkyl (e.g., as in alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline), substituted alkyl (e.g., as in threonine, serine, methionine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, arginine, and lysine), alkaryl (e.g., as in phenylalanine and tryptophan), substituted arylalkyl (e.g., as in tyrosine), and heteroarylalkyl (e.g., as in histidine). The term is inclusive of various types of amino acids including α-, β-, γ-, or δ-amino acids, analogs and derivatives of the same, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The term “amino acid sidechain” or “amino acid residue” shall mean, within context, a radical of a D- or L-amino acid sidechain (derived from an amino acid) which functions as a substituent on another group, often an alkylene (usually a methylene) group on R2′ or R3′ as otherwise described herein. Preferred amino acid sidechains for use in the present invention are derived from the sidechains of both natural and unnatural amino acids, preferably including, for example, alanine, β-alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cyclohexylalanine, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, phenylalanine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, leucine, methionine, naphthylalanine, norleucine, norvaline, proline, serine, threonine, valine, tryptophan or tyrosine, among others.

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term “any amino acid” can mean any natural or synthetic amino acid, including α-, β-, γ-, or δ-amino acids, possibly modified by the presence of one or more substituents, or combinations thereof, including analogs, derivatives, mimetics, and peptoid versions of the same. More precisely the term α-amino acid means an alpha aminated amino acid with the following general structure:

where R represents the side chain of the amino acid. In the context of the invention, R therefore represents the side chain of a side or non-side amino acid. The term “natural amino acid” means any amino acid which is found naturally in vivo in a living being. Natural amino acids therefore include amino acids coded by mRNA incorporated into proteins during translation but also other amino acids found naturally in vivo which are a product or by-product of a metabolic process, such as for example ornithine which is generated by the urea production process by arginase from L-arginine. In the invention, the amino acids used can therefore be natural or not. Namely, natural amino acids generally have the L configuration but also, according to the invention, an amino acid can have the L or D configuration. Moreover, R is of course not limited to the side chains of natural amino acid but can be freely chosen.

As used herein, “urea” or carbamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO(NH₂)₂. The molecule has two —NH₂ groups joined by a carbonyl (C═O) functional group.

Unless indicated otherwise, the term “peptide precursor” or “parental peptide” refers, but is in no way limited to, a parental α-peptide sequence that is coupled with oligourea pseudopeptide or peptidomimetic subunits or substituting oligourea pseudopeptide subunits (i.e., exchanging one or more α-amino acids for one or more oligourea pseudopeptide subunits).

Unless indicated otherwise, the term “oligourea” refers, but is in no way limited to, a residue containing N,N′-linked urea residues including oligomers of substituted or unsubstituted N-2-ethylaminocarbamoyl or 1,2-ethylene diamine residues.

The term “compound”, as used herein, unless otherwise indicated, refers to any specific chemical compound disclosed herein and includes tautomers, regioisomers, geometric isomers, and where applicable, stereoisomers, including optical isomers (enantiomers) and other steroisomers (diastereomers) thereof, as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts and derivatives (including prodrug forms) thereof where applicable, in context. Within its use in context, the term compound generally refers to a single compound, but also may include other compounds such as stereoisomers, regioisomers and/or optical isomers (including racemic mixtures) as well as specific enantiomers or enantiomerically enriched mixtures of disclosed compounds. The term also refers, in context to prodrug forms of compounds which have been modified to facilitate the administration and delivery of compounds to a site of activity. It is noted that in describing the present compounds, numerous substituents and variables associated with same, among others, are described. It is understood by those of ordinary skill that molecules which are described herein are stable compounds as generally described hereunder. When the bond is shown, both a double bond and single bond are represented within the context of the compound shown.

The term “hydrocarbyl” shall mean a compound which contains carbon and hydrogen and which may be fully saturated, partially unsaturated or aromatic and includes aryl groups, alkyl groups, alkenyl groups and alkynyl groups.

The term “amido” as used herein means an ammo group, as defined herein, appended to the parent molecular moiety through a carbonyl.

The term “cyano” as used herein means a —C═N group.

The term “nitro” as used herein means a —N02 group. The term “azido” as used herein means a —N3 group.

The abbreviations Me, Et, Ph, Tf, Nf, Ts, Ms, Cbz, and Boc represent methyl, ethyl, phenyl, trifluoromethanesulfonyl, nonafluorobutanesulfonyl, p-toluenesulfonyl, methanesulfonyl, carbobenzyloxy, and tert-butyloxycarbonyl, respectively.

A more comprehensive list of the abbreviations utilized by organic chemists of ordinary skill in the art appears in the first issue of each volume of the Journal of Organic Chemistry; this list is typically presented in a table entitled Standard List of Abbreviations, and is incorporated herein by reference.

“Alkyl” refers to a branched or unbranched alkyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms, a branched or unbranched alkenyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms, a branched or unbranched alkinyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms. The term “alkyl” shall mean within its context a linear, branch-chained or cyclic fully saturated hydrocarbon radical or alkyl group, preferably a C1-C10, more preferably a C1-C6, alternatively a C1-C3 alkyl group, which may be optionally substituted. Examples of alkyl groups are methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, n-nonyl, n-decyl, isopropyl, 2-methylpropyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopropylmethyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclopentylethyl, cyclohexylethyl and cyclohexyl, among others. In certain preferred embodiments, compounds according to the present invention which may be used to covalently bind to dehalogenase enzymes. These compounds generally contain a side chain (often linked through a polyethylene glycol group) which terminates in an alkyl group which has a halogen substituent (often chlorine or bromine) on its distil end which results in covalent binding of the compound containing such a moiety to the protein.

The term “Alkenyl” refers to linear, branch-chained or cyclic C2-C10 (preferably C2-C6) hydrocarbon radicals containing at least one C═C bond. The term “Alkynyl” refers to linear, branch chained or cyclic C2-C10 (preferably C2-C6) hydrocarbon radicals containing at least one C≡C bond.

The term “alkylene” when used, refers to a —(CH2)n- group (n is an integer generally from 0-6), which may be optionally substituted. When substituted, the alkylene group preferably is substituted on one or more of the methylene groups with a C1-C6 alkyl group (including a cyclopropyl group or a t-butyl group), more preferably a methyl group, but may also be substituted with one or more halo groups, preferably from 1 to 3 halo groups or one or two hydroxyl groups or O—(C1-C6 alkyl) groups. In certain embodiments, an alkylene group may be substituted with a urethane or alkoxy group (or other group) which is further substituted with a polyethylene glycol chain (of from 1 to 10, preferably 1 to 6, often 1 to 4 ethylene glycol units) to which is substituted (preferably, but not exclusively on the distal end of the polyethylene glycol chain) an alkyl chain substituted with a single halogen group, preferably a chlorine group. In still other embodiments, the alkylene group may be substituted with an amino acid side chain such as group obtained from an amino acid (a natural or unnatural amino acid) such as, for example, alanine, β-alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, phenylalanine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, leucine, methionine, proline, serine, threonine, valine, tryptophan or tyrosine.

The term “unsubstituted” shall mean substituted only with hydrogen atoms. A range of carbon atoms which includes C0 means that carbon is absent and is replaced with H. Thus, a range of carbon atoms which is C0-C6 includes carbons atoms of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and for C0, H stands in place of carbon. The term “substituted” or “optionally substituted” shall mean independently (i.e., where more than substituent occurs, each substituent is independent of another substituent), one or more substituents (independently, up to five substitutents, preferably up to three substituents, often 1 or 2 substituents on a moiety in a compound according to the present invention and may include substituents which themselves may be further substituted) at a carbon (or nitrogen) position anywhere on a molecule within context, and independently includes as substituents hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, cyano (C≡N), nitro (NO2), halogen (preferably, 1, 2 or 3 halogens, especially on an alkyl, especially a methyl group such as a trifluoromethyl), an alkyl group (preferably, C1-C10, more preferably, C1-C6), aryl (especially phenyl and substituted phenyl for example benzyl or benzoyl), alkoxy group (preferably, C1-C6 alkyl or aryl, including phenyl and substituted phenyl), thioether (C1-C6 alkyl or aryl), acyl (preferably, C1-C6 acyl), ester or thioester (preferably, C1-C6 alkyl or aryl) including alkylene ester (such that attachment is on the alkylene group, rather than at the ester function which is preferably substituted with a C1-C6 alkyl or aryl group), preferably, C1-C6 alkyl or aryl, halogen (preferably, F or C1), amine (including a five- or six-membered cyclic alkylene amine, further including a C1-C6 alkyl amine or a C1-C6 dialkyl amine which alkyl groups may be substituted with one or two hydroxyl groups) or an optionally substituted —N(C0-C6 alkyl)C(═O)(O—C1-C6 alkyl) group (which may be optionally substituted with a polyethylene glycol chain to which is further bound an alkyl group containing a single halogen, preferably chlorine substituent), hydrazine, amido, which is preferably substituted with one or two C1-C6 alkyl groups (including a carboxamide which is optionally substituted with one or two C1-C6 alkyl groups), alkanol (preferably, C1-C6 alkyl or aryl), or alkanoic acid (preferably, C1-C6 alkyl or aryl).

The term “substituted” (each substituent being independent of another substituent) shall also mean within its context of use C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, halogen, amido, carboxamido, sulfone, including sulfonamide, keto, carboxy, C1-C6 ester (oxyester or carbonylester), C1-C6 keto, urethane —O—C(O)—NR1R2 or —N(R1)-C(O)—O—R1, nitro, cyano and amine (especially including a C1-C6 alkylene-NR1R2, a mono- or di-C1-C6 alkyl substituted amines which may be optionally substituted with one or two hydroxyl groups). Each of these groups contain unless otherwise indicated, within context, between 1 and 6 carbon atoms. In certain embodiments, preferred substituents will include for example, —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—, ═O, —(CH2)m- (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO2- or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH2)nOH, —(CH2)nSH, —(CH2)nCOOH, C1-C6 alkyl, —(CH2)nO—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH2)nC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH2)nOC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH2)nC(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH2)nNHC(O)—R1, —(CH2)nC(O)—NR1R2, —(OCH2)nOH, —(CH2O)nCOOH, C1-C6 alkyl, —(OCH2)nO—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH2O)nC(O)— (C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH2)nNHC(O)—R1, —(CH2O)nC(O)—NR1R2, —S(O)2-RS, —S(O)—RS (RS is C1-C6 alkyl or a —(CH2)m-NR1R2 group), NO2, CN or halogen (F, Cl, Br, I, preferably F or Cl), depending on the context of the use of the substituent. R1 and R2 are each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group (which may be optionally substituted with one or two hydroxyl groups or up to three halogen groups, preferably fluorine). The term “substituted” shall also mean, within the chemical context of the compound defined and substituent used, an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl group or an optionally substituted heterocyclic group as otherwise described herein. Alkylene groups may also be substituted as otherwise disclosed herein, preferably with optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl groups (methyl, ethyl or hydroxymethyl or hydroxyethyl is preferred, thus providing a chiral center), an amido group as described hereinabove, or a urethane group O—C(O)—NR1R2 group where R1 and R2 are as otherwise described herein, although numerous other groups may also be used as substituents. Various optionally substituted moieties may be substituted independently with 3 or more substituents, preferably no more than 3 substituents and preferably with 1 or 2 substituents. It is noted that in instances where, in a compound at a particular position of the molecule substitution is required (principally, because of valency), but no substitution is indicated, then that substituent is construed or understood to be H, unless the context of the substitution suggests otherwise.

“Hydroxyl” refers the functional group —OH when it is a substituent in an organic compound.

“Heterocycle” refers to a heterocyclic group having from 4 to 9 carbon atoms and at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O or S, and may be aromatic (heteroaryl) or non-aromatic. Thus, the heteroaryl moieties are subsumed under the definition of heterocycle, depending on the context of its use. Exemplary heteroaryl groups are described hereinabove. Exemplary nonaromatic heterocyclic groups for use in the present invention include, for example, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolinyl, piperidinyl, piperazinyl, N-methylpiperazinyl, imidazolinyl, pyrazolidinyl, imidazolidinyl, morpholinyl, tetrahydropyranyl, azetidinyl, oxetanyl, oxathiolanyl, pyridone, 2-pyrrolidone, ethyleneurea, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-dioxane, 1,4-dioxane, phthalimide and succinimide, among others.

Heterocyclic groups can be optionally substituted with 1 to 5, and preferably 1 to 3 substituents, selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, substituted cycloalkenyl, acyl, acylamino, acyloxy, amino, substituted amino, aminoacyl, aminoacyloxy, oxyaminoacyl, azido, cyano, halogen, hydroxyl, keto, thioketo, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, thioaryloxy, thioheteroaryloxy, thioheterocyclooxy, thiol, thioalkoxy, substituted thioalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, heterocyclic, heterocyclooxy, hydroxyamino, alkoxyamino, nitro, —SO-alkyl, —SO-substituted alkyl, —SO-aryl, —SO-heteroaryl, —SO2-alkyl, —SO2-substituted alkyl, —SO2-aryl, oxo (═O), and —SO2-heteroaryl. Such heterocyclic groups can have a single ring or multiple condensed rings. Preferred heterocyclics include morpholino, piperidinyl, and the like.

Examples of nitrogen heterocycles and heteroaryls include, but are not limited to, pyrrole, imidazole, pyrazole, pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyridazine, indolizine, isoindole, indole, indazole, purine, quinolizine, isoquinoline, quinoline, phthalazine, naphthylpyridine, quinoxaline, quinazoline, cinnoline, pteridine, carbazole, carboline, phenanthridine, acridine, phenanthroline, isothiazole, phenazine, isoxazole, phenoxazine, phenothiazine, imidazolidine, imidazoline, piperidine, piperazine, indoline, morpholino, piperidinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and the like as well as N-alkoxy-nitrogen containing heterocycles.

“Heteroaryl” refers to a heterocyclic group having from 4 to 9 carbon atoms and at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O or S with at least one ring of this group being aromatic. Heteroaryl groups having one or more nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur atoms in the ring (moncyclic) such as imidazole, furyl, pyrrole, furanyl, thiene, thiazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazole, oxazole or fused ring systems such as indole, quinoline, indolizine, azaindolizine, benzofurazan, etc., among others, which may be optionally substituted as described above. Among the heteroaryl groups which may be mentioned include nitrogen containing heteroaryl groups such as pyrrole, pyridine, pyridone, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, pyrazole, imidazole, triazole, triazine, tetrazole, indole, isoindole, indolizine, azaindolizine, purine, indazole, quinoline, dihydroquinoline, tetrahydroquinoline, isoquinoline, dihydroisoquinoline, tetrahydroisoquinoline, quinolizine, phthalazine, naphthyridine, quinoxaline, quinazoline, cinnoline, pteridine, imidazopyridine, imidazotriazine, pyrazinopyridazine, acridine, phenanthridine, carbazole, carbazoline, perimidine, phenanthroline, phenacene, oxadiazole, benzimidazole, pyrrolopyridine, pyrrolopyrimidine and pyridopyrimidine; sulfur-containing aromatic heterocycles such as thiophene and benzothiophene; oxygen-containing aromatic heterocycles such as furan, pyran, cyclopentapyran, benzofuran and isobenzofuran; and aromatic heterocycles comprising 2 or more hetero atoms selected from among nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen, such as thiazole, thiadizole, isothiazole, benzoxazole, benzothiazole, benzothiadiazole, phenothiazine, isoxazole, furazan, phenoxazine, pyrazoloxazole, imidazothiazole, thienofuran, furopyrrole, pyridoxazine, furopyridine, furopyrimidine, thienopyrimidine and oxazole, among others, all of which may be optionally substituted.

“Substituted heteroaryl” refers to a heterocyclic group having from 4 to 9 carbon atoms and at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O or S with at least one ring of this group being aromatic and this group being substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, carbyloxy, carbylmercapto, alkylamino, amido, carboxyl, hydroxyl, nitro, mercapto or sulfo, whereas these generic substituent group have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups as defined in this legend.

The term “thiol” refers to the group —SH.

The term “thioalkoxy” refers to the group —S-alkyl.

“Amidine” refers to a functional group that has two amine groups attached to the same carbon atom with one carbon-nitrogen double bond: HN═CR′—NH″2.

“Alkoxyl” refers to an alkyl group linked to oxygen thus: R—O—, where R is an alkyl.

“Substituted alkyl” refers to a branched or unbranched alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms and having substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, mercapto, carbylmercapto, halogen, carbyloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, cycloalkyl, sulfo or acyl. These substituent generic groups having the meanings being identical with the definitions of the corresponding groups as defined herein.

“Halogen” refers to fluorine, bromine, chlorine, and iodine atoms.

“Acyl” denotes the group —C(O)R_(e), where R_(e) is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl whereas these generic groups have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups as defined in this legend.

“Acloxy” denotes the group —OAc, where Ac is an acyl, substituted acyl, heteroacyl or substituted heteroacyl whereas these generic groups have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups as defined in this legend.

“Alkylamino” denotes the group —NR_(f)R_(g), where R_(f) and R_(g), that are independent of one another, represent hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl, whereas these generic substituents have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups defined herein.

“Aryl” refers to an aromatic carbocyclic group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and being a substituted (as otherwise described herein) or unsubstituted monovalent aromatic radical having a single ring (e.g., benzene, phenyl, benzyl) or condensed (fused) rings, wherein at least one ring is aromatic (e.g., naphthyl, anthracenyl, phenanthrenyl, etc.) and can be bound to the compound according to the present invention at any available stable position on the ring(s) or as otherwise indicated in the chemical structure presented. Other examples of aryl groups, in context, may include heterocyclic aromatic ring systems.

“Substituted aryl” refers to an aromatic carbocyclic group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and being composed of at least one aromatic ring or of multiple condensed rings at least one of which being aromatic. The ring(s) are optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, hydroxyl, carbylmercapto, alkylamino, carbyloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, nitro, mercapto or sulfo, whereas these generic substituent group have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups as defined in this legend.

“Carboxyl” denotes the group —C(O)OR, where R is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl, whereas these generic substituents have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups defined herein.

“Cycloalkyl” refers to a monocyclic or polycyclic alkyl group containing 3 to 15 carbon atoms.

“Substituted cycloalkyl” refers to a monocyclic or polycyclic alkyl group containing 3 to 15 carbon atoms and being substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, carbyloxy, carbylmercapto, aryl, nitro, mercapto or sulfo, whereas these generic substituent groups have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups as defined in this legend.

“Heterocycloalkyl” refers to a monocyclic or polycyclic alkyl group containing 3 to 15 carbon atoms which at least one ring carbon atom of its cyclic structure being replaced with a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O, S or P.

“Substituted heterocycloalkyl” refers to a monocyclic or polycyclic alkyl group containing 3 to 15 carbon atoms which at least one ring carbon atom of its cyclic structure being replaced with a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O, S or P and the group is containing one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, carbyloxy, carbylmercapto, aryl, nitro, mercapto or sulfo, whereas these generic substituent group have meanings which are identical with definitions of the corresponding groups as defined in this legend.

The term “alkenyl” refers to a monoradical of a branched or unbranched unsaturated hydrocarbon group preferably having from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, more preferably 2 to 10 carbon atoms and even more preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms. Preferred alkenyl groups include ethenyl (—CH═CH2), n-propenyl (—CH2CH═CH2), iso-propenyl (—C(CH3)=CH2), and the like.

“Imidazole” refers to a heterocyclic base of the general formula: C₃H₄N₂.

“Aralkyl group” refers to, for example, a C1-C6 alkyl group which is attached to 1 or 2 aromatic hydrocarbon rings having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms and which has a total of 7 to 14 carbon atoms, such as the benzyl, alpha-naphthylmethyl, indenylmethyl, diphenylmethyl, 2-phenethyl, 2-alpha-naphthylethyl, 3-phenylpropyl, 3-alpha-naphthylpropyl, phenylbutyl, 4-alpha-naphthylbutyl or 5-phenylpentyl groups.

“Guanidine” refers generally to the amidine of amidocarbonic acid and has the general formula of: C(NH₂)₃.

The terms “aralkyl” and “heteroarylalkyl” refer to groups that comprise both aryl or, respectively, heteroaryl as well as alkyl and/or heteroalkyl and/or carbocyclic and/or heterocycloalkyl ring systems according to the above definitions.

The present description describes the surprising and unexpected discovery that foldamers comprising peptide-oligourea chimeras (compounds having a polypeptide portion contiguous with or covalently coupled (i.e., “coupled”) to oligomers of amino acid analogs having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit; i.e., N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues) demonstrate enhanced or improved properties relative to the parental or cognate “natural” peptide. The oligourea portion can also contain various combinations of isosteric residues such as γ-amino acid residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, and substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues. The chimeric compounds as described herein improve at least one PK ane/or PD characteristic of the natural peptide. Because the chimeric compounds as described herein can adopt desired secondary structures similar to native peptides, including, e.g., linear, cyclic or helicoidal structures, they can serve as, for example, receptor ligands, effector molecules, agonists, antagonists, modulators of protein-protein interactions, organocatalysts or enzymes. Therefore, in certain aspects, the present description provides chimeric compounds, methods of making, and using the same.

Chimeric Compounds

In certain aspects, the present description provides compounds comprising peptide/oligourea chimeras (herein, “chimeras” or “chimeric compounds”). In particular, the description provides chimeric compounds comprising a portion or sequence of alpha amino acids (i.e., an “α-peptide”) covalently coupled to at least one oligourea residue, e.g., a 1,2-ethylene diamine residue having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit, and oligomers thereof.

In certain embodiments, the chimeric compounds comprise a peptide portion (i.e., a sequence of α-amino acid residues) contiguous with or coupled to an oligourea portion (i.e., a sequence of oligourea residues). In certain embodiments, the peptide portion comprises at least 2 α-amino acids. In certain additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises at least two residues having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit (i.e., oligoureas); for example, N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues. In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises at least one acyclic γ-amino acid residue. In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises at least one acyclic γ-amino acid residue, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residue, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, or a substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues. In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises one or more than one N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue, an acyclic γ-amino acid residue, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residue, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, or a substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues, or a combination thereof.

In any aspect or embodiment described herein, the oligourea portion of the chimeric compound comprises at least one peptidomimetic oligourea residue, for example, a 1,2-ethylene diamine residue having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit, and oligomers thereof. In certain embodiments, the peptidomimetic oligourea portion further comprises at least one other modified or peptidomimetic amino acid residue, such as, an amino acid analog, e.g., one or more γ-amino acid residue, as well as other members of the γ-peptide superfamily including γ-peptides and oligocarbamates or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the at least one other modified or peptidomimetic amino acid residue is a N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residue, a substituted or unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residue or a combination or oligomer thereof.

In further embodiments, the chimeric compounds comprising at least one N,N′-linked urea residue (i.e., i.e., N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl) of formula II and oligomers thereof:

wherein Ra, R′a, R″a and R′″a are independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an amino acid side chain, a (C1-C10) alkyl, (C1-C10) alkenyl, (C1-C10) alkynyl, (C5-C12) monocyclic or bicyclic aryl, (C5-C14) monocyclic or bicyclic aralkyl, (C5-C14) monocyclic or bicyclic heteroalkyl and (C1-C10) monocyclic or bicyclic heteroaryl group comprising up to 5 heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S, said groups being able to be non-substituted or substituted by 1 to 6 substituents further selected from the group consisting of: a halogen atom, an NO₂, OH, amidine, benzamidine, imidazole, alkoxy, (C1-C4) alkyl, NH2, CN, trihalomethyl, (C1-C4) acyloxy, (C1-C4) monoalkylamino, (C1-C4) dialkylamino, guanidino group, bis alkylated and bis acylated guanido group.

In certain embodiments, R_(a), R′_(a), R″_(a) and R′″_(a) are independently selected from a chemical moiety described herein.

In any of the chimeric compound embodiments described herein, the oligourea segment comprises at least two adjacent N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues, at least two adjacent acyclic γ-amino acid residues or an N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue adjacent to an acyclic γ-amino acid residue.

In certain embodiments, the N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues is independently selected from the group consisting of:

-   -   wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of         hydrogen, any side chain of a natural amino acid, linear,         branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or         -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five         heteroatoms selected from N, O and S; mono or bicyclic         aryl-C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; C1-C6-alkyloxy, aryloxy,         heteroaryloxy, thio, C1-C6-alkylthio, amino, mono         ordi-C1-C6-alkylamino, carboxylic acid, carboxamide mono- or         di-C1-C6-alkylcarboxamine, sulfonamide, urea, mono-di or         tri-substituted urea, thiourea, guanidine.     -   wherein R¹ is independently selected from the group consisting         of hydrogen, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or         alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl         having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S     -   wherein R² is independently selected from the group consisting         of hydrogen, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or         alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl         having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S     -   wherein R³ together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which         it is attached independently defines a substituted or         unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 heterocyclic ring         having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s); and         substitutents on the heterocycle moiety are independently         selected from the group consisting of linear, branched or cyclic         C1-C6 alkyl, aralkyl, —O—C(O)—NR¹R² or —N(R¹)—C(O)—O—R¹, C1-C6         alkylene-NR¹R², —(CH₂)_(n)—NH—C(═NR¹)NHR², —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—,         ═O, —(CH₂)_(m)— (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or         6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO₂— or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH₂)_(n)—OH,         —(CH₂)_(n)—SH, —(CH₂)_(n)—COOH, —(CH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl),         —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)OC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl),         —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹,         —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —(OCH₂)_(n)OH, —(OCH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl),         —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH₂)—NHC(O)—R¹,         —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —NO2, —CN, or -halogen.R1 and R2 are         each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group.     -   wherein R⁴ together with the carbon atoms to which it is         attached independently defines a substituted or unsubstituted,         monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or         heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the         heteroatom(s); and substitutents on the cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl         or heterocycle moieties are independently selected from the         group consisting of linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6 alkyl,         aralkyl, —O—C(O)—NR¹R² or —N(R¹)—C(O)—O—R¹, C1-C6         alkylene-NR¹R², —(CH₂)_(n)—NH—C(═NR¹)NHR², —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—,         ═O, —(CH₂)_(m)— (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or         6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO₂— or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH₂)_(n)OH,         —(CH₂)_(n)SH, —(CH₂)_(n)COOH, —(CH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl),         —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)OC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl),         —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹,         —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —(OCH₂)_(n)OH, —(OCH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl),         —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹,         —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —NO2, —CN, or -halogen.R1 and R2 are         each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group     -   wherein V and W are combined, together with the carbon atoms to         which they are bonded, and independently define a substituted or         unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 cycloalkyl,         cycloalkenyl or heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S         atom(s) as the heteroatom(s).

In any of the chimeric compound embodiments described herein, the peptide portion may comprise an α-amino acid sequence corresponding to a biologically active peptide or a fragment thereof.

In additional embodiment, a chimeric compound as described herein mimics an α-helix chain.

In still additional embodiments, the chimeric compound as described herein is biologically active. For example, in certain embodiments, the chimeric compounds as described herein are enzymatically active. In still additional embodiments, the chimeric compounds as described herein are configured to bind target proteins. In certain embodiments the target protein is a cytosolic protein. In certain embodiments, the target protein is a membrane protein. In certain embodiments, the membrane protein is a receptor. In still additional embodiments, the receptor is a growth factor receptor or a G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) or a fragment thereof.

In certain aspects, the description provides chimeric compounds comprising a peptide portion coupled to an oligourea portion comprising a plurality of N,N′-linked urea residues. Surprisingly and unexpectedly chimeric compounds as described herein comprising oligoureas adopt well-defined helical secondary structures akin to that of α-polypeptides, and can enhance or improve the beneficial properties of the cognate or parental “natural” peptide.

Compared to α-amino acids, γ-amino acids are characterized by a greater chemical diversity (seven substitution positions versus three for α-amino acids) and conformational versatility. The γ-peptide backbone can be seen as the prototypic member of a larger family (i.e. γ-peptide superfamily or lineage) of peptidomimetic backbones and combinations thereof, all sharing an isosteric relationship (e.g. oligocarbamates, N,N′-linked oligo(thio)ureas, oligoguanidines, oligomers of β-aminoxy acids, sulfonamidopeptides). Although the constituent units in these backbones are endowed with different properties, their combination represent an opportunity to generate new heterogeneous backbone oligomers with defined secondary structures, thus further expanding the chemical space of foldamers in the γ-peptide superfamily.

In certain aspects, the description provides peptide-oligourea chimeras that adopt stable secondary structures, including, e.g., linear, cyclic, or helicoidal, tertiary structure, and/or quaternary structures, wherein the chimeras comprise a sequence of amino acids (i.e., a polypeptide) contiguous with or coupled to an oligourea sequence of peptidomimetic or amino acid analog residues. In certain embodiments, the amino acid sequence comprises α-amino acids. In an additional embodiments, the chimeric compound comprises an amino acid sequence contiguous with or coupled to one or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues, wherein the peptidomimetic residue includes an N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue, a γ-amino acid residue, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, a substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, or a substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residue. In certain embodiments the chimera comprises two or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues.

In certain aspects, the description provides a chimeric ligand compound capable of binding specifically to a target, e.g., a protein such as a receptor or other polypeptide or peptide, or small molecule, similar to the native or natural peptide. In certain embodiments, the chimeric ligand compound comprises a peptide portion coupled to an oligourea portion which includes a plurality of N,N′-linked urea residues. In certain embodiments, the peptide portion comprises α-amino acids. In an additional embodiments, the chimeric ligand compound comprises an amino acid sequence contiguous with or coupled to an oligourea portion including one or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues, wherein the peptidomimetic residue is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, γ-amino acid residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl a and a combination thereof. In certain embodiments the chimeric ligand compound comprises two or more oligourea peptidomimetic residues.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a oligourea portion containing a peptidomimetic residue having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In a preferred embodiment, the peptidomimetic residue is a N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a polypeptide portion including at least one α-, γ-, δ-amino acid, derivative or combination thereof, which is contiguous with or coupled to one or more peptidomimetic residues an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises an oligomer of N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamer comprises an oligourea portion contiguous with or covalently linked or joined to at least one of the amino terminus (N′), the carboxyl terminus (C′), within the peptide sequence or a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamer comprises an oligourea portion covalently linked or joined to the C-terminus of the peptide portion.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, or more urea residues (i.e., amino acid derivatives or having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit). In certain embodiments, the oligourea portion includes one or more γ-amino acid residues substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, and substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residues. In a preferred embodiment, the residues in the oligourea portion are all N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residues.

In additional embodiments, the description provides a peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprising a polypeptide portion and an oligourea portion one substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue.

In any of the embodiments as described herein, the amino acidanalogue having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit is preferably coupled to the peptide backbone. In still additional embodiments, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a plurality of urea bridging units coupled to a terminus of a polypeptide or peptide precursor backbone.

In another aspect, the description provides peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds as described herein further comprising at least one additional chemical modification. In certain embodiments, the chemical modification includes at least one of, for example, acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, glycosylation, prenylation, isoprenylation, farnesylation, geranylation, pegylation, a disulfide bond, or combination thereof.

In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises at least one acyclic γ-amino acid residue. In additional embodiments, the oligourea portion comprises one or more than one N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residue, acyclic γ-amino acid residue or a combination thereof. In any of the embodiments described herein, the oligourea portion of the chimeric compound comprises an isosteric residue such as γ-amino acid residue, substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residue, substituted or unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residue, substituted or unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl residue or a combination thereof.

In certain aspects, the description provides chimeric compounds comprising a peptide portion coupled to an oligourea portion comprising a plurality of N,N′-linked urea 1,2-ethylene diamine residues. Surprisingly and unexpectedly chimeric compounds as described herein comprising oligoureas or oligourea/γ-peptide or oligourea/oligocarbamate chimeras adopt well-defined helical secondary structures akin to that of α-polypeptides, and can enhance or improve the beneficial properties of the cognate or parental “natural” peptide.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a oligourea portion including a peptidomimetic 1,2-ethylene diamine residue with N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In a preferred embodiment, the peptidomimetic residue a substitute or unsubstituted N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises a polypeptide portion including at least one α-, γ-, δ-amino acid, derivative or combination thereof, which is contiguous with or coupled to one or more peptidomimetic 1,2-ethylene diamine residues having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises an oligomer of substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl residues.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamer comprises an oligourea portion contiguous with or covalently linked or joined to at least one of the amino terminus (N′), the carboxyl terminus (C′), within the peptide sequence or a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprises an oligourea portion covalently linked or joined to the C-terminus of the peptide portion.

Pharmaceutical Forms

The chimeric compounds as described herein including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are useful for the preparation of a medicament and/or the treatment of disease in a subject. In the case where a salt of a compound is desired and the compound is produced in the form of the desired salt, it can be subjected to purification as such. In the case where a compound is produced in the free state and its salt is desired, the compound is dissolved or suspended in a suitable organic solvent, followed by addition of an acid or a base to form a salt. As such, in an addition aspect the description provides compositions comprising an effective amount of a peptide-oligourea chimera as described herein, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.

The compounds of the invention may optionally be administered with at least one of a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, pharmacologically active agent or a combination thereof. These novel, unnatural peptidomimetics are resistant or wholly immune to peptidase and protease degradation and are conformationally restrained. Thus, they are useful as tools to model peptide and protein conformations in aqueous solutions. The compounds are also useful as non-enzymatically degradable probes to mimic protein behavior in solution. As such, the description further provides the compositions comprising an effective amount of a chimeric compound as described herein, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.

Certain compounds of the invention and their salts may exist in more than one crystal form and the present invention includes each crystal form and mixtures thereof. Certain compounds of the invention and their salts may also exist in the form of solvates, for example hydrates, and the present invention includes each solvate and mixtures thereof.

Certain compounds of the invention may contain one or more chiral centers, and exist in different optically active forms. When compounds of the invention contain one chiral center, the compounds exist in two enantiomeric forms and the present invention includes both enantiomers and mixtures of enantiomers, such as racemic mixtures. The enantiomers may be resolved by methods known to those skilled in the art, for example by formation of diastereoisomeric salts which may be separated, for example, by crystallization; formation of diastereoisomeric derivatives or complexes which may be separated, for example, by crystallization, gas-liquid or liquid chromatography; selective reaction of one enantiomer with an enantiomer-specific reagent, for example enzymatic esterification; or gas-liquid or liquid chromatography in a chiral environment, for example on a chiral support for example silica with a bound chiral ligand or in the presence of a chiral solvent. It will be appreciated that where the desired enantiomer is converted into another chemical entity by one of the separation procedures described above, a further step may be used to liberate the desired enantiomeric form. Alternatively, specific enantiomers may be synthesized by asymmetric synthesis using optically active reagents, substrates, catalysts or solvents, or by converting one enantiomer into the other by asymmetric transformation.

When a compound of the invention contains more than one chiral center, it may exist in diastereoisomeric forms. The diastereoisomeric compounds may be separated by methods known to those skilled in the art, for example chromatography or crystallization and the individual enantiomers may be separated as described above. The present invention includes each diastereoisomer of compounds of the invention and mixtures thereof.

Certain compounds of the invention may exist in different tautomeric forms or as different geometric isomers, and the present invention includes each tautomer and/or geometric isomer of compounds of the invention and mixtures thereof.

Certain compounds of the invention may exist in different stable conformational forms which may be separable. Torsional asymmetry due to restricted rotation about an asymmetric single bond, for example because of steric hindrance or ring strain, may permit separation of different conformers. The present invention includes each conformational isomer of compounds of the invention and mixtures thereof.

Certain compounds of the invention may exist in zwitterionic form and the present invention includes each zwitterionic form of compounds of the invention and mixtures thereof.

The present disclosure encompasses all possible isomers including tautomers and mixtures thereof. Where chiral carbons lend themselves to two different enantiomers, both enantiomers are contemplated as well as procedures for separating the two enantiomers.

The present invention also relates to pharmaceutically acceptable salts, racemates, and optical isomers thereof. The compounds of this invention typically contain one or more chiral centers. Accordingly, this invention is intended to include racemic mixtures, diasteromers, enantiomers and mixture enriched in one or more steroisomer. The scope of the invention as described and claimed encompasses the racemic forms of the compounds as well as the individual enantiomers and non-racemic mixtures thereof.

Many of the compounds of the invention may be provided as salts with pharmaceutically compatible counterions (i.e., pharmaceutically acceptable salts).

The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salt” is used throughout the specification to describe, where applicable, a salt form of one or more of the compounds or prodrugs described herein which are presented to increase the solubility of the compound in the gastic juices of the patient's gastrointestinal tract in order to promote dissolution and the bioavailability of the compounds. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include those derived from pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic or organic bases and acids, where applicable. Suitable salts include those derived from alkali metals such as potassium and sodium, alkaline earth metals such as calcium, magnesium and ammonium salts, among numerous other acids and bases well known in the pharmaceutical art. Sodium and potassium salts are particularly preferred as neutralization salts of the phosphates according to the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the description provides pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the modified peptides as described herein, which retain the biological effectiveness and properties of the parent compounds and which are not biologically or otherwise harmful as the dosage administered. The compounds of this invention are capable of forming both acid and base salts by virtue of the presence of amino and carboxy groups respectively.

A “pharmaceutically acceptable counterion” is an ionic portion of a salt that is not toxic when released from the salt upon administration to a recipient. Pharmaceutically compatible salts may be formed with many acids, including but not limited to hydrochloric, sulfuric, acetic, lactic, tartaric, malic, succinic, etc. Salts tend to be more soluble in aqueous or other protonic solvents than are the corresponding free base forms.

Acids commonly employed to form pharmaceutically acceptable salts include inorganic acids such as hydrogen bisulfide, hydrochloric, hydrobromic, hydroiodic, sulfuric and phosphoric acid, as well as organic acids such as para-toluenesulfonic, salicylic, tartaric, bitartaric, ascorbic, maleic, besylic, fumaric, gluconic, glucuronic, formic, glutamic, methanesulfonic, ethanesulfonic, benzenesulfonic, lactic, oxalic, parabromophenylsulfonic, carbonic, succinic, citric, benzoic and acetic acid, and related inorganic and organic acids. Such pharmaceutically acceptable salts thus include sulfate, pyrosulfate, bisulfate, sulfite, bisulfite, phosphate, monohydrogenphosphate, dihydrogenphosphate, metaphosphate, pyrophosphate, chloride, bromide, iodide, acetate, propionate, decanoate, caprylate, acrylate, formate, isobutyrate, caprate, heptanoate, propiolate, oxalate, malonate, succinate, suberate, sebacate, fumarate, maleate, butyne-I,4-dioate, hexyne-I,6-dioate, benzoate, chlorobenzoate, methylbenzoate, dinitrobenzoate, hydroxybenzoate, methoxybenzoate, phthalate, terephthalate, sulfonate, xylenesulfonate, phenylacetate, phenylpropionate, phenylbutyrate, citrate, lactate, ˜-hydroxybutyrate, glycolate, maleate, tartrate, methanesulfonate, propanesulfonate, naphthalene-I-sulfonate, naphthalene-2-sulfonate, mandelate and the like salts.

Preferred pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include those formed with mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid and hydrobromic acid, and especially those formed with organic acids such as maleic acid. Suitable bases for forming pharmaceutically acceptable salts with acidic functional groups include, but are not limited to, hydroxides of alkali metals such as sodium, potassium, and lithium; hydroxides of alkaline earth metal such as calcium and magnesium; hydroxides of other metals, such as aluminum and zinc; ammonia, and organic amines, such as unsubstituted or hydroxy-substituted mono-, di-, or trialkylamines; dicyclohexylamine; tributyl amine; pyridine; N-methyl, N-ethylamine; diethylamine; triethylamine; mono-, bis-, or tris-(2-hydroxy-lower alkyl amines), such as mono-, bis-, or tris-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine, 2-hydroxy-tert-butylamine, or tris-(hydroxymethyl)methylamine, N,N-di-lower alkyl-N(hydroxy lower alkyl)-amines, such as N,N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine, or tri-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine; N-methyl-D-glucamine; and amino acids such as arginine, lysine, and the like.

Prodrugs

The description also provides prodrug forms of the above described oligomeric compounds, wherein the prodrug is metabolized in vivo to produce an analog or derivative as set forth above. Indeed, some of the described compounds may be a prodrug for another analog or derivative. The term “prodrug” is well understood in the art and refers to an agent which is converted into the parent drug in vivo by some physiological chemical process (e.g., a prodrug on being brought to the physiological pH is converted to the desired drug form). For example, see Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1980, vol. 16, Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa., 61 and 424.

Pro-drugs are often useful because, in some situations, they may be easier to administer than the parent drug. They may, for instance, be bioavailable by oral administration whereas the parent drug is not. The prodrug may also have improved solubility in pharmacological compositions over the parent drug. An example, without limitation, of a pro-drug would be a compound of the present invention wherein it is administered as an ester (the “pro-drug”) to facilitate transmittal across a cell membrane where water solubility is not beneficial, but then it is metabolically hydrolyzed to the carboxylic acid once inside the cell where water solubility is beneficial. Pro-drugs have many useful properties. For example, a pro-drug may be more water soluble than the ultimate drug, thereby facilitating intravenous administration of the drug. A pro-drug may also have a higher level of oral bioavailability than the ultimate drug. After administration, the prodrug is enzymatically or chemically cleaved to deliver the ultimate drug in the blood or tissue.

Exemplary pro-drugs upon cleavage release the corresponding free acid, and such hydrolyzable ester-forming residues of the compounds of this invention include but are not limited to carboxylic acid substituents (e.g., —C(O)2H or a moiety that contains a carboxylic acid) wherein the free hydrogen is replaced by (C1-C4)alkyl, (Cz-C12)alkanoyloxymethyl, (C4-C9)1-(alkanoyloxy)ethyl, I-methyl-1-(alkanoyloxy)-ethyl having from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyloxymethyl having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms, 1-(alkoxycarbonyloxy)ethyl having from 4 to 7 carbon atoms, I-methyl-1-10 (alkoxycarbonyloxy)ethyl having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, N-(alkoxycarbonyl)aminomethyl having from 3 to 9 carbon atoms, 1-(N-(alkoxycarbonyl)amino) ethyl having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, 3-phthalidyl, 4-crotonolactonyl, gamma-butyrolacton-4-yl, di-N,N—(C1-C2)alkylamino(C2-C3)alkyl (such as ˜-dimethylaminoethyl), carbamoyl-(C1-C2)alkyl, N,N-die C1-C2)-alkylcarbamoyl-(C1-15 C2)alkyl and piperidino-, pyrrolidino- or morpholino(C2-C3)alkyl.

Other exemplary pro-drugs release an alcohol or amine of a compound of the invention wherein the free hydrogen of a hydroxyl or amine substituent is replaced by (C1-C6)alkanoyloxymethyl, 1-((C1-C6)alkanoyloxy)ethyl, I-methyl-1-((C1-C6)alkanoyloxy)ethyl, (C1-C6)alkoxycarbonyl-oxymethyl, N—(C1-C6)alkoxycarbonylamino-20 methyl, succinoyl, (C1-C6)alkanoyl, α-amino(C1-C4)alkanoyl, arylactyl and α-aminoacyl, or α-aminoacyl-α-aminoacyl wherein said α-aminoacyl moieties are independently any of the naturally occurring L-amino acids found in proteins, —P(O)(OH)2′-P(O)(O(C1-C6)alkyl)2 or glycosyl (the radical resulting from detachment of the hydroxyl of the hemiacetal of a carbohydrate).

The phrase “protecting group” as used herein means temporary substituents which protect a potentially reactive functional group from undesired chemical transformations. Examples of such protecting groups include esters of carboxylic acids, silyl ethers of alcohols, and acetals and ketals of aldehydes and ketones, respectively. The field of protecting group chemistry has been reviewed (Greene, T. W.; Wuts, P. G. M. Protective 30 Groups in Organic Synthesis, 2nd ed.; Wiley: New York, 1991). Protected forms of the inventive compounds are included within the scope of this invention.

The term “chemically protected form,” as used herein, pertains to a compound in which one or more reactive functional groups are protected from undesirable chemical reactions, that is, are in the form of a protected or protecting group (also known as a masked or masking group). It may be convenient or desirable to prepare, purify, and/or handle the active compound in a chemically protected form.

By protecting a reactive functional group, reactions involving other unprotected reactive functional groups can be performed, without affecting the protected group; the protecting group may be removed, usually in a subsequent step, without substantially affecting the remainder of the molecule. See, for example, Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis (T. Green and P. Wuts, Wiley, 1991), and Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis (T. Green and P. Wuts; 3rd Edition; John Wiley and Sons, 1999).

For example, a hydroxy group may be protected as an ether (—OR) or an ester (—OC(═O)R), for example, as: a t-butyl ether; a benzyl, benzhydryl (diphenylmethyl), or trityl (triphenylmethyl) ether; a trimethylsilyl or t-butyldimethylsilyl ether; or an acetyl ester (—OC(═O)CH3, —OAc). For example, an aldehyde or ketone group may be protected as an acetal or ketal, respectively, in which the carbonyl group (C(═O)) is converted to a diether (C(OR)2), by reaction with, for example, a primary alcohol. The aldehyde or ketone group is readily regenerated by hydrolysis using a large excess of water in the presence of acid. For example, an amine group may be protected, for example, as an amide (NRC(═O)R) or a urethane (—NRC(═O)OR), for example, as: a methyl amide (—NHC(═O)CH3); a benzyloxy amide (—NHC(═O)OCH2C6HsNHCbz); as a t-butoxy amide (NHC═(═O)OC(CH3)3, —NHBoc); a 2-biphenyl-2-propoxy amide (NHC(═O)OC(CH3)2C6H4C6HsNHBoc), as a 9-fluorenylmethoxy amide (—NHFmoc), as a 6-nitroveratryloxy amide (—NHNvoc), as a 2-trimethylsilylethyloxy amide (—NHTeoc), as a 2,2,2-trichloroethyloxy amide (—NHTroc), as an allyloxy amide (—NHAlloc), as a 2-(phenylsulfonyl)ethyloxy amide (—NHPsec); or, in suitable cases (e.g., cyclic amines), as a nitroxide radical.

For example, a carboxylic acid group may be protected as an ester or an amide, for example, as: a benzyl ester; a t-butyl ester; a methyl ester; or a methyl amide. For example, a thiol group may be protected as a thioether (—SR), for example, as: a benzyl thioether; or an acetamidomethyl ether (—SCH2NHC(═O)CH3). In at least certain examples, the compounds disclosed herein can be used in the treatment of disorders associated with pathogen infection. Disorders associated with infection by pathogens include, but are not limited to, infection by viruses (DNA viruses, RNA viruses, animal viruses, and the like), bacteria (e.g., gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, acid-fast bacteria, and the like), fungi, parasitic microbes, nematodes, and the like.

The term “pharmaceutically acceptable derivative” is used throughout the specification to describe any pharmaceutically acceptable prodrug form (such as an ester, amide other prodrug group) which, upon administration to a patient, provides directly or indirectly the present compound or an active metabolite of the present compound. The term “independently” is used herein to indicate that the variable, which is independently applied, varies independently from application to application.

The term “treatment” as used herein includes any treatment of a condition or disease in an animal, particularly a mammal, more particularly a human, and includes: (i) preventing the disease or condition from occurring in a subject which may be predisposed to the disease but has not yet been diagnosed as having it; (ii) inhibiting the disease or condition, i.e. arresting its development; relieving the disease or condition, i.e. causing regression of the condition; or (iii) ameliorating or relieving the conditions caused by the disease, i.e. symptoms of the disease.

The term “effective” is used to describe an amount of a compound, composition or component which, when used within the context of its intended use, effects an intended result.

The term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to that amount which is sufficient to effect treatment, as defined herein, when administered to a mammal in need of such treatment. The therapeutically effective amount will vary depending on the subject and disease state being treated, the severity of the affliction and the manner of administration, and may be determined routinely by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Suitable routes for administration include oral, peroral, rectal, vassal, topical (including ocular, buccal and sublingual), vaginal and parental (including subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravitreous, intravenous, intradermal, intrathecal and epidural). The preferred route of administration will depend upon the condition of the patient, the toxicity of the compound and the site of infection, among other considerations known to the clinician.

The therapeutic composition of the invention comprises about 1% to about 95% of the active ingredient, single-dose forms of administration preferably comprising about 20% to about 90% of the active ingredient and administration forms which are not single-dose preferably comprising about 5% to about 20% of the active ingredient. Unit dose forms are, for example, coated tablets, tablets, ampoules, vials, suppositories or capsules. Other forms of administration are, for example, ointments, creams, pastes, foams, tinctures, lipsticks, drops, sprays, dispersions and the like. Examples are capsules containing from about 0.05 g to about 1.0 g of the active ingredient.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention are prepared in a manner known per se, for example by means of convential mixing, granulating, coating, dissolving or lyophilizing processes.

Preferably, solutions of the active ingredient, and in addition also suspensions or dispersions, especially isotonic aqueous solutions, dispersions or suspensions, are used, it being possible for these to be prepared before use, for example in the case of lyophilized compositions which comprise the active substance by itself or together with a carrier, for example mannitol. The pharmaceutical compositions can be sterilized and/or comprise excipients, for example preservatives, stabilizers, wetting agents and/or emulsifiers, solubilizing agents, salts for regulating the osmotic pressure and/or buffers, and they are prepared in a manner known per se, for example by means of convential dissolving or lyophilizing processes. The solutions or suspensions mentioned can comprise viscosity-increasing substances, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, dextran, polyvinylpyrrolidone or gelatin.

Pharmaceutically acceptable forms include, for example, a gel, lotion, spray, powder, pill, tablet, controlled release tablet, sustained release tablet, rate controlling release tablet, enteric coating, emulsion, liquid, salts, pastes, jellies, aerosols, ointments, capsules, gel caps, or any other suitable form that will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Suspensions in oil comprise, as the oily component, the vegetable, synthetic or semi-synthetic oils customary for injection purposes. Oils which may be mentioned are, in particular, liquid fatty acid esters which contain, as the acid component, a long-chain fatty acid having 8-22, in particular 12-22, carbon atoms, for example lauric acid, tridecylic acid, myristic acid, pentadecylic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, arachidinic acid, behenic acid or corresponding unsaturated acids, for example oleic acid, elaidic acid, euric acid, brasidic acid or linoleic acid, if appropriate with the addition of antioxidants, for example vitamin E, .beta.-carotene or 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene. The alcohol component of these fatty acid esters has not more than 6 carbon atoms and is mono- or polyhydric, for example mono-, di- or trihydric alcohol, for example methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, or pentanol, or isomers thereof, but in particular glycol and glycerol. Fatty acid esters are therefore, for example: ethyl oleate, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, “Labrafil M 2375” (polyoxyethylene glycerol trioleate from Gattefosee, Paris), “Labrafil M 1944 CS” (unsaturated polyglycolated glycerides prepared by an alcoholysis of apricot kernel oil and made up of glycerides and polyethylene glycol esters; from Gattefosee, Paris), “Labrasol” (saturated polyglycolated glycerides prepared by an alcoholysis of TCM and made up of glycerides and polyethylene glycol esters; from Gattefosee, Paris) and/or “Miglyol 812” (triglyceride of saturated fatty acids of chain length C8 to C12 from Huls AG, Germany), and in particular vegetable oils, such as cottonseed oil, almond oil, olive oil, castor oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and, in particular, groundnut oil.

The preparation of the injection compositions is carried out in the customary manner under sterile conditions, as are bottling, for example in ampoules or vials, and closing of the containers.

For example, pharmaceutical compositions for oral use can be obtained by combining the active ingredient with one or more solid carriers, if appropriate granulating the resulting mixture, and, if desired, processing the mixture or granules to tablets or coated tablet cores, if appropriate by addition of additional excipients.

Suitable carriers are, in particular, fillers, such as sugars, for example lactose, sucrose, mannitol or sorbitol cellulose preparations and/or calcium phosphates, for example tricalcium phosphate, or calcium hydrogen phosphate, and furthermore binders, such as starches, for example maize, wheat, rice or potato starch, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and/or polyvinyl-pyrrolidine, and/or, if desired, desintegrators, such as the above mentioned starches, and furthermore carboxymethyl-starch, cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, alginic acid or a salt thereof, such as sodium alginate. Additional excipients are, in particular, flow regulators and lubricants, for example salicylic acid, talc, stearic acid or salts thereof, such as magnesium stearate or calcium stearate, and/or polyethylene glycol, or derivatives thereof.

Coated tablet cores can be provided with suitable coatings which, if appropriate, are resistant to gastric juice, the coatings used being, inter alia, concentrated sugar solutions, which, if appropriate, comprise gum arabic, talc, polyvinylpyrrolidine, polyethylene glycol and/or titanium dioxide, coating solutions in suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures or, for the preparation of coatings which are resistant to gastric juice, solutions of suitable cellulose preparations, such as acetylcellulose phthalate or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate.

By “controlled release” it is meant for purposes of the present invention that therapeutically active compound is released from the preparation at a controlled rate or at a specific site, for example, the intestine, or both such that therapeutically beneficial blood levels (but below toxic levels) are maintained over an extended period of time, e.g., providing a 12 hour or a 24 hour dosage form.

The term “rate controlling polymer” as used herein includes hydrophilic polymers, hydrophobic polymers or mixtures of hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic polymers that are capable of retarding the release of the compounds in vivo. In addition, many of the same polymers can be utilized to create an enteric coating of a drug, drug suspension, or drug matrix. It is within the skill of those in the art to modify the coating thickness, permeability, and dissolution characteristics to provide the desired controlled release profile (e.g., drug release rate and locus) without undue experimentation.

Examples of suitable controlled release polymers to be used in this invention include hydroxyalkylcellulose, such as hydroxypropylcellulose and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose; poly(ethylene)oxide; alkylcellulose such as ethycellulose and methylcellulose; carboxymethylcellulose; hydrophilic cellulose derivatives; polyethylene glycol; polyvinylpyrrolidone; cellulose acetate; cellulose acetate butyrate; cellulose acetate phthalate; cellulose acetate trimellitate; polyvinylacetate phthalate; hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate; hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate; poly(alkyl methacrylate); and poly (vinyl acetate). Other suitable hydrophobic polymers include polymers or copolymers derived from acrylic or methacrylic acid esters, copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic acid esters, zein, waxes, shellac and hydrogenated vegetable oils.

To ensure correct release kinetics, the controlled release preparation of this invention contains about 5 and 75% by weight, preferably about 20 and 50% by weight, more preferably about 30 to 45% by weight controlled release polymer(s) and about 1 to 40% by weight, preferably about 3 to 25% by weight active compounds. The controlled release preparation according to the invention can preferably include auxiliary agents, such as diluents, lubricants and/or melting binders. Preferably, the excipients are selected to minimize the water content of the preparation. Preferably, the preparation includes an antioxidant. Suitable diluents include pharmaceutically acceptable inert fillers such as microcrystalline cellulose, lactose, dibasic calcium phosphate, saccharides, and/or mixtures of any of the foregoing. The diluent is suitably a water soluble diluent. Examples of diluents include microcrystalline cellulose such as Avicel ph112, Avicel pH101 and Avicel pH102; lactose such as lactose monohydrate, lactose anhydrous, and Pharmatose DCL 21; dibasic calcium phosphate such as Emcompress; mannitol; starch; sorbitol; sucrose; and glucose. Diluents are carefully selected to match the specific formulation with attention paid to the compression properties. Suitable lubricants, including agents that act on the flowability of the powder to be compressed are, for example, colloidal silicon dioxide such as Aerosil 200; talc; stearic acid, magnesium stearate, and calcium stearate. Suitable low temperature melting binders include polyethylene glycols such as PEG 6000; cetostearyl alcohol; cetyl alcohol; polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers; polyoxyethylene castor oil derivatives; polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters; polyoxyethylene stearates; poloxamers; and waxes.

To improve the stability in the controlled release preparation, an antioxidant compound can be included. Suitable antioxidants include sodium metabisulfite; tocopherols such as alpha, beta, or delta-tocopherol tocopherol esters and alpha-tocopherol acetate; ascorbic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; ascorbyl palmitate; alkyl gallates such as propyl gallate, Tenox PG, Tenox s-1; sulphites or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; BHA; BHT; and monothioglycerol.

The controlled release preparation according to the invention preferably can be manufactured by blending the compounds with the controlled release polymer(s) and auxiliary excipients followed by direct compression. Other methods for manufacturing the preparation include melt granulation. Preferred melt granulation techniques include melt granulation together with the rate controlling polymer(s) and diluent(s) followed by compression of the granules and melt granulation with subsequent blending with the rate controlling polymer(s) and diluents followed by compression of the blend. As desired prior to compression, the blend and/or granulate can be screened and/or mixed with auxiliary agents until an easily flowable homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Oral dosage forms of the controlled release preparation according to the invention can be in the form of tablets, coated tablets, enterically coated tablets or can be multiparticulate, such as in the form of pellets or mini-tablets. If desired, capsules such as hard or soft gelatin capsules, can contain the multiparticulates. If desired, the multiparticulate oral dosage forms can comprise a blend of at least two populations of pellets or mini-tablets having different controlled-release in vitro and/or in vivo release profiles. If desired, one of the pellet or mini-tablet populations can comprise immediate release multiparticulate, such as multiparticulates formed by conventional means.

If desired, the controlled release matrix tablets or multiparticulates of this invention can be coated with a controlled release polymer layer so as to provide additional controlled release properties. Suitable polymers that can be used to form this controlled release layer include the rate controlling polymers listed above.

As desired, the tablets, pellets or mini-tablets according to the invention can be provided with a light-protective and/or cosmetic film coating, for example, film-formers, pigments, anti-adhesive agents and plasticizers. Such a film former may consist of fast-dissolving constituents, such as low-viscosity hydroxypropylmethylcelluose, for example Methocel E5 or D14 or Pharmacoat 606 (Shin-Etsu). The film coating may also contain excipients customary in film-coating procedures, such as light-protective pigments, for example iron oxide, or titanium dioxide, anti-adhesive agents, for example talc, and also suitable plasticizers such as PEG 400, PEG 6000, and diethyl phthalate or triethyl citrate.

The controlled release polymer of this invention may consist of a hydrogel matrix. For instance, the compounds can be compressed into a dosage form containing a rate controlling polymer, such as HPMC, or mixture of polymers which when wet will swell to form a hydrogel. The rate of release from this dosage form is controlled both by diffusion from the swollen tablet mass and by erosion of the tablet surface over time. The rate of release may be controlled both by the amount of polymer per tablet and by the inherent viscosities of the polymers used.

Dyes or pigments can be admixed to the tablets or coated tablet coatings, for example for identification or characterization of different doses of active ingredient.

Pharmaceutical compositions, which can be used orally, are also hard capsules of gelatin and soft, closed capsules of gelatin and a plasticizer, such as glycerol or sorbitol. The hard capsules can contain the active ingredient in the form of granules, mixed for example with fillers, such as maize starch, binders and/or lubricants, such as talc or magnesium stearate, and stabilizers if appropriate. In soft capsules, the active ingredient is preferably dissolved or suspended in suitable liquid excipients, such as greasy oils, paraffin oil or liquid polyethylene glycols or fatty acid esters of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, it being likewise possible to add stabilizers and detergents, for example of the polyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester type.

Other oral forms of administration are, for example, syrups prepared in the customary manner, which comprise the active ingredient, for example, in suspended form and in a concentration of about 5% to 20%, preferably about 10% or in a similar concentration which results in a suitable individual dose, for example, when 5 or 10 ml are measured out. Other forms are, for example, also pulverulent or liquid concentrates for preparing of shakes, for example in milk. Such concentrates can also be packed in unit dose quantities.

Pharmaceutical compositions, which can be used rectally, are, for example, suppositories that comprise a combination of the active ingredient with a suppository base. Suitable suppository bases are, for example, naturally occurring or synthetic triglycerides, paraffin hydrocarbons, polyethylene glycols or higher alkanols.

Compositions which are suitable for parenteral administration are aqueous solutions of an active ingredient in water-soluble form, for example of water-soluble salt, or aqueous injection suspensions, which comprise viscosity-increasing substances, for example sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sorbitol and/or dextran, and if appropriate stabilizers. The active ingredient can also be present here in the form of a lyophilisate, if appropriate together with excipients, and be dissolved before parenteral administration by addition of suitable solvents. Solutions such as are used, for example, for parental administration can also be used as infusion solutions. Preferred preservatives are, for example. Antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid, or microbicides, such as sorbic or benzoic acid.

Ointments are oil-in-water emulsions, which comprise not more than 70%, but preferably 20-50% of water or aqueous phase. The fatty phase consists, in particular, hydrocarbons, for example vaseline, paraffin oil or hard paraffin's, which preferably comprise suitable hydroxy compounds, such as fatty alcohol's or esters thereof, for example cetyl alcohol or wool wax alcohols, such as wool wax, to improve the water-binding capacity. Emulsifiers are corresponding lipophilic substances, such as sorbitan fatty acid esters (Spans), for example sorbitan oleate and/or sorbitan isostearate. Additives to the aqueous phase are, for example, humectants, such as polyalcohols, for example glycerol, propylene glycol, sorbitol and/or polyethylene glycol, or preservatives and odoriferous substances.

Fatty ointments are anhydrous and comprise, as the base, in particular, hydrocarbons, for example paraffin, vaseline or paraffin oil, and furthermore naturally occurring or semi-synthetic fats, for example hydrogenated coconut-fatty acid triglycerides, or, preferably, hydrogenated oils, for example hydrogenated groundnut or castor oil, and furthermore fatty acid partial esters of glycerol, for example glycerol mono- and/or distearate, and for example, the fatty alcohols. They also contain emulsifiers and/or additives mentioned in connection with the ointments which increase uptake of water.

Creams are oil-in-water emulsions, which comprise more than 50% of water. Oily bases used are, in particular, fatty alcohols, for example lauryl, cetyl or stearyl alcohols, fatty acids, for example palmitic or stearic acid, liquid to solid waxes, for example isopropyl myristate, wool wax or beeswax, and/or hydrocarbons, for example vaseline (petrolatum) or paraffin oil. Emulsifiers are surface-active substances with predominantly hydrophilic properties, such as corresponding nonionic emulsifiers, for example fatty acid esters of polyalcohols or ethyleneoxy adducts thereof, such as polyglyceric acid fatty acid esters or polyethylene sorbitan fatty esters (Tweens), and furthermore polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers or polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, or corresponding ionic emulsifiers, such as alkali metal salts of fatty alcohol sulfates, for example sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium cetyl sulfate or sodium stearyl sulfate, which are usually used in the presence of fatty alcohols, for example cetyl stearyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol. Additives to the aqueous phase are, inter alia, agents which prevent the creams from drying out, for example polyalcohols, such as glycerol, sorbitol, propylene glycol and/or polyethylene glycols, and furthermore preservatives and odoriferous substances.

Pastes are creams and ointments having secretion-absorbing powder constituents, such as metal oxides, for example titanium oxide or zinc oxide, and furthermore talc and/or aluminum silicates, which have the task of binding the moisture or secretions present.

Foams are administered from pressurized containers and they are liquid oil-in-water emulsions present in aerosol for. As the propellant gases, halogenated hydrocarbons, such as chlorofluoro-lower alkanes, for example dichlorofluoromethane and dichlorotetrafluoroethane, or, preferably, non-halogenated gaseous hydrocarbons, air, N.sub.2 O, or carbon dioxide are used. The oily phases used are, inter alia, those mentioned above for ointments and creams, and the additives mentioned there are likewise used.

Tinctures and solutions usually comprise an aqueous-ethanolic base to which, humectants for reducing evaporation, such as polyalcohols, for example glycerol, glycols and/or polyethylene glycol, and re-oiling substances, such as fatty acid esters with lower polyethylene glycols, i.e. lipophilic substances soluble in the aqueous mixture to substitute the fatty substances removed from the skin with the ethanol, and, if necessary, other excipients and additives, are admixed.

Methods of Treatment

The invention also relates to a process or method for treatment of the disease states. The chimeric compounds can be administered prophylactically or therapeutically as such or in the form of pharmaceutical compositions, preferably in an amount, which is effective against the diseases mentioned. With a warm-blooded animal, for example a human, requiring such treatment, the compounds are used, in particular, in the form of pharmaceutical composition. A daily dose of about 0.1 to about 5 g, preferably 0.5 g to about 2 g, of a compound of the present invention is administered here for a body weight of about 70 kg.

The description provides methods of treating a disease or disorder or ameliorating the effects of the same comprising the steps of administering to an individual in need thereof, a composition comprising an effective amount of a chimeric compound as described herein, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient, wherein the composition is effective for treating, preventing or ameliorating the effects of the disease or disorder.

The compounds described above are used for the manufacture of a medication for use in the treatment of a disease, disorder or condition. The term “disease involving deregulation of cell proliferation and/or angiogenesis” means, in the context of the invention, any human or animal disease affecting one or more organs. Exemplary diseases include, but are not limited to, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, Lyme arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, spondyloarthropathy, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, thyroiditis, asthma, allergic diseases, psoriasis, dermatitis scleroderma, atopic dermatitis, graft versus host disease, organ transplant rejection, acute or chronic immune disease associated with organ transplantation, sarcoidosis, atherosclerosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, Kawasaki's disease, Grave's disease, nephrotic syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, Henoch-Schoenlein purpurea, microscopic vasculitis of the kidneys, chronic active hepatitis, uveitis, septic shock, toxic shock syndrome, sepsis syndrome, cachexia, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, acute transverse myelitis, Huntington's chorea, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, primary biliary cirrhosis, hemolytic anemia, malignancies, heart failure, myocardial infarction, Addison's disease, sporadic, polyglandular deficiency type I and polyglandular deficiency type II, Schmidt's syndrome, adult (acute) respiratory distress syndrome, alopecia, alopecia areata, seronegative arthopathy, arthropathy, Reiter's disease, psoriatic arthropathy, ulcerative colitic arthropathy, enteropathic synovitis, chlamydia, yersinia and salmonella associated arthropathy, spondyloarthopathy, atheromatous disease/arteriosclerosis, atopic allergy, autoimmune bullous disease, pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, pemphigoid, linear IgA disease, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, Coombs positive haemolytic anaemia, acquired pernicious anaemia, juvenile pernicious anaemia, myalgic encephalitis/Royal Free Disease, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, giant cell arteritis, primary sclerosing hepatitis, cryptogenic autoimmune hepatitis, Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency Related Diseases, Hepatitis C, common varied immunodeficiency (common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia), dilated cardiomyopathy, female infertility, ovarian failure, premature ovarian failure, fibrotic lung disease, cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, post-inflammatory interstitial lung disease, interstitial pneumonitis, connective tissue disease associated interstitial lung disease, mixed connective tissue disease associated lung disease, systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease, systemic lupus erythematosus associated lung disease, dermatomyositis/polymyositis associated lung disease, Sjodgren's disease associated lung disease, ankylosing spondylitis associated lung disease, vasculitic diffuse lung disease, haemosiderosis associated lung disease, drug-induced interstitial lung disease, radiation fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, lymphocytic infiltrative lung disease, postinfectious interstitial lung disease, gouty arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, type-1 autoimmune hepatitis (classical autoimmune or lupoid hepatitis), type-2 autoimmune hepatitis (anti-LKM antibody hepatitis), autoimmune mediated hypoglycemia, type B insulin resistance with acanthosis nigricans, hypoparathyroidism, acute immune disease associated with organ transplantation, chronic immune disease associated with organ transplantation, osteoarthrosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, idiopathic leucopenia, autoimmune neutropenia, renal disease NOS, glomerulonephritides, microscopic vasulitis of the kidneys, lyme disease, discoid lupus erythematosus, male infertility idiopathic or NOS, sperm autoimmunity, multiple sclerosis (all subtypes), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, sympathetic ophthalmia, pulmonary hypertension secondary to connective tissue disease, Goodpasture's syndrome, pulmonary manifestation of polyarteritis nodosa, acute rheumatic fever, rheumatoid spondylitis, Still's disease, systemic sclerosis, Takayasu's disease/arteritis, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, autoimmune thyroid disease, hyperthyroidism, goitrous autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's disease), atrophic autoimmune hypothyroidism, primary myxoedema, phacogenic uveitis, primary vasculitis and vitiligo. The human antibodies, and antibody portions of the invention can be used to treat autoimmune diseases, in particular those associated with inflammation, including, rheumatoid spondylitis, allergy, autoimmune diabetes, autoimmune uveitis.

The methods herein include administering to the subject (including a subject identified as in need of such treatment) an effective amount of a compound described herein, or a composition described herein to produce a desired effect. Identifying a subject in need of such treatment can be in the judgment of the subject or a health care professional and can be subjective (e.g., opinion) or objective (e.g., measurable by a test or diagnostic method). The therapeutic methods of the invention, which include prophylactic treatment, in general comprise administration of a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of the compounds herein, such as a compound of the formulae herein to a subject (e.g., animal, human) in need thereof, including a mammal, particularly a human. Such treatment will be suitably administered to subjects, particularly humans, suffering from, having, susceptible to, or at risk for a disease, disorder, or symptom thereof. Determination of those subjects “at risk” can be made by any objective or subjective determination by a diagnostic test or opinion of a subject or health care provider (e.g., genetic test, enzyme or protein marker, Marker (as defined herein), family history, and the like).

In another aspect, the present description provides methods of making and using the peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds as described herein. For example, the peptide-oligourea chimeric compounds as described herein can be used as a diagnostic agent or a therapeutic agent for the treatment of a disease or condition.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of monitoring treatment progress. The method includes the step of determining a level of diagnostic marker (Marker) (e.g., any target delineated herein modulated by a compound herein, a protein or indicator thereof, etc.) or diagnostic measurement (e.g., screen, assay) in a subject suffering from or susceptible to a disorder or symptoms thereof associated with protein-expression related disease (including misfolding), in which the subject has been administered a therapeutic amount of a compound herein sufficient to treat the disease or symptoms thereof. The level of Marker determined in the method can be compared to known levels of Marker in either healthy normal controls or in other afflicted patients to establish the subject's disease status. In certain embodiments, a second level of Marker in the subject is determined at a time point later than the determination of the first level, and the two levels are compared to monitor the course of disease or the efficacy of the therapy. In certain embodiments, a pre-treatment level of Marker in the subject is determined prior to beginning treatment according to this invention; this pre-treatment level of Marker can then be compared to the level of Marker in the subject after the treatment commences, to determine the efficacy of the treatment.

The active compound is included in the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent in an amount sufficient to deliver to a patient a therapeutically effective amount for the desired indication, without causing serious toxic effects in the patient treated. A preferred dose of the active compound for all of the herein-mentioned conditions is in the range from about 10 ng/kg to 300 mg/kg, preferably 0.1 to 100 mg/kg per day, more generally 0.5 to about 25 mg per kilogram body weight of the recipient/patient per day. A typical topical dosage will range from 0.01-5% wt/wt in a suitable carrier. The compound is conveniently administered in any suitable unit dosage form, including but not limited to one containing less than 1 mg, 1 mg to 3000 mg, preferably 5 to 500 mg of active ingredient per unit dosage form. An oral dosage of about 25-250 mg is often convenient. The active ingredient is preferably administered to achieve peak plasma concentrations of the active compound of about 0.00001-30 mM, preferably about 0.1-30 μM.

This may be achieved, for example, by the intravenous injection of a solution or formulation of the active ingredient, optionally in saline, or an aqueous medium or administered as a bolus of the active ingredient. Oral administration is also appropriate to generate effective plasma concentrations of active agent. The concentration of active compound in the drug composition will depend on absorption, distribution, inactivation, and excretion rates of the drug as well as other factors known to those of skill in the art. It is to be noted that dosage values will also vary with the severity of the condition to be alleviated. It is to be further understood that for any particular subject, specific dosage regimens should be adjusted over time according to the individual need and the professional judgment of the person administering or supervising the administration of the compositions, and that the concentration ranges set forth herein are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope or practice of the claimed composition. The active ingredient may be administered at once, or may be divided into a number of smaller doses to be administered at varying intervals of time.

Methods of Preparation

In another aspect, the present description provides methods of making and using the chimeric compounds of the invention. For example, in one embodiment, the description provides a method of making a chimeric compound of the invention comprising synthesizing an oligomer of residues comprising at least one N,N′-linked urea bridging unit, wherein the oligomer is coupled to at least one amino acid of a peptide backbone. In certain embodiments, the oligourea is an N-2-ethylaminocarbamoyl residue. In still certain embodiments, the oligourea portion of the chimeric compound is disposed at a terminus, e.g., carboxy terminus or amino terminus, within the peptide portion of the precursor or parental peptide, or a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the oligourea portion is disposed at the amino terminus or carboxy terminus.

In certain embodiments, the description provides a method of synthesizing a peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprising the steps of:

-   -   (a) selecting a biologically active polypeptide or biologically         active fragment thereof having an amino acid sequence comprising         at least two α-amino acid residues; and     -   (b) fabricating a synthetic oligomer wherein:         -   (i) n successive α-amino acid residues in the biologically             active polypeptide or fragment of step (a) are replaced by m             residues selected from the group consisting of             N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues and acyclic γ-amino acid             residues, wherein n is an integer ≧3, and m is an integer ≧2             and m≦n−1         -   (ii) between about 3% and about 90% of the α-amino acid             residues found in the conformation in the biologically             active polypeptide or fragment of step (a) are replaced with             residues selected from the group consisting of             N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues and acyclic γ-amino acid             residues; and         -   (iii) the synthetic polypeptide has a length of from about 6             residues to about 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 or             more residues (including intermediate values) and comprises             at least two residues selected from the group consisting of             N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues and acyclic γ-amino acid             residues.

Additional, exemplary methods for performing the synthesis of chimeric compounds as described herein are provided below.

It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various substitutions, modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are included within the spirit and purview of this application and are considered within the scope of the appended claims. The following examples are given by way of example of the preferred embodiments, and are in no way considered to be limiting to the invention. For example, the relative quantities of the ingredients may be varied to achieve different desired effects, additional ingredients may be added, and/or similar ingredients may be substituted for one or more of the ingredients described. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

EXAMPLES

Oligomers consisting of N,N′-linked urea bridging units represent a new family of peptidomimetic foldamers

With reference to FIG. 1( a), this oligomeric backbone has been found to possess a remarkable propensity to fold into helical secondary structures in organic solvents and showed promise for interaction with biologically relevant targets. Compared to alpha-peptides, helix stabilization in oligoureas is promoted by the presence of additional backbone conformational restriction and H-bond donor sites. In particular, three-centered H-bonding between C═O_((i)) and urea HN_((i3)) and HN′_((i2)) has been characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy and cicrular dichroism in organic solvents as well as in aqueous environment as well as in the solid-state by X-ray crystallography. For a review, see: L. Fischer, G. Guichard, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2010, 8, 3101-3117. See also original articles: V. Semetey, D. Rognan, C. Hemmerlin, R. Graff, J.-P. Briand, M. Marraud, G. Guichard, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 1893-1895; A. Violette, M. C. Averlant-Petit, V. Semetey, C. Hemmerlin, R. Casimir, R. Graff, M. Marraud, J.-P. Briand, D. Rognan, G. Guichard, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 2156-2164.

The structure of compound 1 a representative 6-mer oligourea with side chains corresponding to that of valine, alanine and leucine which has been solved at atomic resolution by X-ray diffraction is shown in FIG. 1( b). The formula of a representative oligourea with antimicrobial properties (compound 1a, FIG. 1( b)) is also shown to illustrate the diversity of side chains that is accessible in oligoureas. In addition compound 1a has been found to maintain a helical conformation in aqueous environment illustrating the potential of oligoureas as bioactive compounds. See: P. Claudon, A. Violette, K. Lamour, M. Decossas, S. Fournel, B. Heurtault, J. Godet, Y. Mély, B. Jamart-Grégoire, M.-C. Averlant-Petit, J.-P. Briand, G. Duportail, H. Monteil, G. Guichard, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2010, 49, 333-336)2.

Synthesis of Exemplary Oligoureas

The preparation process of the representative oligourea 1 is outlined in FIG. 2. It has been prepared as described previously: L. Fischer, P. Claudon, N. Pendem, E. Miclet, C. Didierjean, E. Ennifar, G. Guichard, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2010, 49, 1067-1070.

General synthetic approaches to N-Boc protected activated succinimidyl carbamate monomers for the synthesis of oligoureas such as 1 (M1-M3, see FIG. 2) has been described in C. Aisenbrey, N. Pendem, G. Guichard, B. Bechinger, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 1440-1447. and in G. Guichard, V. Semetey, C. Didierjean, A. Aubry, J.-P. Briand, M. Rodriguez, J. Org. Chem. 1999, 64, 8702-8705.

Briefly, The N-protected α-amino acid was dissolved in anhydrous THF under N₂ and cooled to −10° C. After addition of NMM (1.1 eq) and IBCF (1.0 eq), the mixture was stirred at −10° C. for 45 min. The precipitated N-methylmorpholine hydrochloride was removed by filtration and washed with THF. The filtrate and washings were combined in a flask. At 0° C., a solution of NaBH₄ (2.00 eq) in water was added and the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature overnight. The THF was removed under vacuum and the residue was quenched with an aqueous solution of KHSO₄ 1M. The organic layer was diluted in AcOEt and washed with saturated NaHCO₃ solution, water and brine. The organic layer was dried over Na₂SO₄ and concentrated under reduced pressure to give the compound which crystallized slowly.

To an ice-cooled solution of Boc-protected alcohol in anhydrous THF (15 mL) under N₂ were added Phtalimide (1.20 eq) and PPh₃ (1.20 eq). The reaction mixture was stirred for 10 min and DIAD (1.20 eq) was added dropwise. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature over night. The THF was removed under vacuum and the mixture was dissolved in methanol and heated to 70° C. under N₂. Hydrazine (3.00 eq) was added slowly and the mixture was allowed to stir at 70° C. over night.

The insoluble product was filtered off and washed with methanol. The filtrate and washings were combined and the solvent was removed under vacuum. The mixture was dissolved in NaHCO₃ and CH₂Cl₂. The organic layer was washed with saturated NaHCO₃, dried over Na₂SO₄, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resulting oil was dissolved in concentrated HCl (pH 2-3) and the aqueous layer was washed with Et₂O and EtOAc, the aqueous layer was then basified with K₂CO₃ until pH 8. The compound was extracted from the aqueous layer with CH₂Cl₂ (three times) and the organic phases were combined, dried over Na₂SO₄ and concentrated under reduce pressure.

To an ice-cooled solution of the Boc-protected amine dissolved in anhydrous CH₂Cl₂, was added DSC (1.20 eq) previously dissolved in CH₂Cl₂ and the mixture was stirred for 2 h at room temperature. The mixture was diluted in CH₂Cl₂, the insoluble compounds were filtered off and washed with CH₂Cl₂. Then the organic layer was washed with saturated Na₂SO₄ and concentrated under reduced pressure. The desired activated building block was crystallised in a mixture of Et₂O and pentane and recovered by filtration

Analytical data of representative activated monomers M1 and M3 used for oligourea synthesis.

(2-tert-Butoxycarbonylamino-propyl)-carbamic acid 2,5-dioxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl ester (M1). Boc-L-Ala-OH (12 g, 63.42 mmol) was transformed according to the general procedure. Monomer M1 was obtained after recrystallization as a white solid (5 g, 25%). ¹H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=6.18 (m, 1H, NH), 4.56 (m, 1H, NH), 3.83 (m, 1H, CHN), 3.43-3.17 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.83 (s, 4H, CH₂), 1.47 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.20 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 3H, CH₃). ¹³C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 170.07, 156.24, 152.09, 47.92, 46.37, 28.33, 25.48, 25.42, 18.30. ESI-MS (M_(w) 315.32): m/z 338.1 [M+Na]⁺.

(2-tert-Butoxycarbonylamino-4-methyl-pentyl)-carbamic acid 2,5-dioxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl ester (M3). Boc-L-Leu-OH.H₂O (5 g, 20.06 mmol) was transformed according to the general procedure. The monomère M3 was obtained by recrystallization as a white solid (4.07 g, 11.4 mmol, 56%). ¹H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=6.15 (m, 1H, NH), 4.47 (m, 1H, NH), 3.79 (m, 1H, CHN), 3.46-3.32 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 3.27-3.17 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.83 (s, 4H, CH₂), 1.77-1.61 (m, 1H, CH), 1.47 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.37-1.25 (m, 2H, CH₂), 0.97-0.90 (m, 6H, CH₃). ¹³C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 170.12, 156.39, 152.08, 79.80, 48.59, 47.17, 41.39, 28.31, 25.47, 24.73, 22.97, 22.00. ESI-MS (M_(w) 357.40): m/z 380.07 [M+Na]⁺

General procedure for oligourea synthesis in solution. The growing Boc-protected oligourea (1.0 eq) was dissolved in TFA (3 ml/g) and stirred for 45 min. The reaction mixture was then concentrated under reduced pressure and the resulting residue was coevaporated 3 times with cyclohexane. The crude product was then dissolved in CH₃CN (5 ml/g). DIPEA (3.0 eq) was then added and the mixture was cooled to 0° C. prior to the dropwise addition of the previously described succinimidyl carbamate monomers (e.g. M1, M2, M3 above), dissolved in CH₃CN. Completion of the reaction was monitored by TLC.

Oligoureas described herein can be prepared using Boc-protected building blocks or azido-type building blocks according to. C. Douat-Casassus, K. Pulka, P. Claudon, G. Guichard, Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 3130-3133.

a. Solution Phase Synthesis of α-Peptide/Oligourea Chimeras with a Oligourea Segment Attached at the C-Terminus of the α-Peptide Chain.

With reference to FIG. 3, the synthesis route starting from homooligourea 1 and structure of α-peptide/oligourea chimeras 2-5 are shown in Scheme 1. Scheme 1 shows the synthesis of α-peptide/oligourea chimeras 2-5 starting from N-Boc protected homooligourea 1. Boc=tert-butoxycarbonyl; TFA=trifluoroacetic acid; BOP=(Benzotriazol-1-yloxy)tris(dimethylamino)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate; DIPEA=diisopropylamine. Briefly, The Boc group on 1 was removed and Boc-leu-OH was coupled to the free amino group of the oligourea using standard peptide coupling procedure to give chimeric oligomer 2 in 76% yield. Following Boc deprotection and coupling Boc-Ala-OH, under the same condition, chimera 3 with two consecutive a-amino acids was obtained in nearly quantitative yield. Boc deprotection followed by coupling Boc-Leu-OH gave 4 in 83%. Finally, Boc deprotection and coupling of Boc-Ala-OH gave the title tetrapeptide-hexaurea chimera 5 in 75% yield.

An exemplary procedure for Boc removal and peptide coupling in the synthesis of chimeras 2-5 is as follows: the N-Boc protected oligomer was dissolved in TFA at 0° C. under N₂. After stirring for 1 h, TFA was removed in vacuo and coevaporated with cyclohexane. The α-amino acid (0.95 eq.) was dissolved in a small quantity of dimethylformamide with BOP (0.95 eq.) and cooled to 0° C. under N₂, the TFA salt and DIPEA (3.0 eq.) were added and the reaction was allowed to stir over night. The mixture was diluted with NaHCO₃ and EtOAc. The organic layer was washed with NaHCO₃, KHSO₄ and brine, dried over Na₂SO₄, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resulting solid was column purified (CH₂Cl₂/MeOH, 2%).

Analytical Data for Compound 2.

¹H NMR: (300 MHz, CD₃OH) δ=7.60 (d, J=9.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.12 (d, J=6.4 Hz, 1H), 6.56-6.35 (m, 5H, NH), 6.12-5.95 (m, 5H, NH), 5.81 (d, J=9.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 5.71 (m, 1H, NH), 4.14-4.02 (m, 2H, CHN), 3.99-3.82 (m, 4H, CHN), 3.79-3.53 (m, 7H, CH₂N), 2.74 (d, J=4.7 Hz, 3H, CH₃N), 2.64-2.51 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.50-2.31 (m, 4H, CH₂N), 1.83-1.67 (m, 4H, CH), 1.65-1.56 (m, 3H, CH), 1.51 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.32-1.17 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.10-0.85 (m, 36H, CH₃). ESI-MS (Mw 985.31): m/z 985.5 [M+H]⁺.

Analytical Data for Compound 3.

¹H NMR: (400 MHz, CD₃OH) δ=8.30 (d, J=5.7 Hz, 1H), 7.19 (m, 2H, NH), 6.54 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.48-6.6 (m, 4H, NH), 6.24 (m, 1H, NH), 6.13-6.05 (m, 2H, NH), 6.04-5.96 (m, 2H, NH), 5.81 (d, J=10.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 5.651 (m, 1H, NH), 4.28-4.18 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.14-4.01 (m, 2H, CHN), 3.99-3.82 (m, 4H, CHN), 3.78-3.53 (m, 7H, CH₂N), 2.74 (d, J=4.6 Hz, 3H, CH₃N), 2.72-2.62 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.54-2.32 (m, 4H, CH₂N), 1.85-1.56 (m, 8H, CH), 1.51 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.38 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 1H, CH₃), 1.30-1.19 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.08-0.87 (m, 36H, CH₃). ESI-MS (Mw 1056.39): m/z 1056.4 [M+H]⁺, 1078.5 [M+Na]⁺.

Analytical Data for Compound 4.

¹H NMR: (400 MHz, CD₃OH) δ=8.55 (s, 1H, NH), 7.78 (d, J=7.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.12 (s, 1H, NH), 7.03 (d, J=9.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.53 (m, 1H, NH), 6.50-6.37 (m, 4H, NH), 6.24 (m, 1H, NH), 6.13-5.98 (m, 4H, NH), 5.87-5.74 (m, 2H, NH), 4.39-4.28 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.28-4.16 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.14-4.02 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.03-3.81 (m, 5H, CH—CH₂), 3.77-3.51 (m, 7H, CH₂), 2.88-2.76 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.71-2.60 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.53-2.32 (m, 4H, CH₂N), 1.85-1.67 (m, 8H, CH), 1.54 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.49-1.41 (m, 3H, CH₃), 1.36-1.20 (m, 8H, CH₂), 1.11-0.85 (m, 42H, CH₃). ESI-MS (Mw 1169.5): m/z 1169.6 [M+H]⁺.

Analytical Data for Compound 5.

¹H NMR: (400 MHz, CD₃OH) δ=8.55 (m, 1H, NH), 7.90 (m, 1H, NH), 7.52 (m, 1H, NH), 7.40 (m, 1H, NH), 7.28 (m, 1H, NH), 6.62-6.36 (m, 5H, NH), 6.26 (m, 1H, NH), 6.19-5.97 (m, 4H, NH), 5.81 (m, 1H, NH), 5.67 (m, 1H, NH), 4.37-4.27 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.26-4.17 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.15-4.03 (m, 2H, CHN), 4.02-3.83 (m, 5H, CHN—CH₂N), 3.75-3.51 (m, 7H, CH₂N), 2.89-2.76 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.74 (d, J=4.6 Hz, 3H, CH₃N), 2.73-2.63 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.62-2.34 (m, 4H, CH₂N), 1.90-1.58 (m, 10H, CH—CH₂), 1.53 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.40 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.33-1.17 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.13-0.85 (m, 42H, CH₃). ESI-MS (Mw 1240.62): m/z 1240.6 [M+H]⁺.

b. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 6 with a Oligourea Segment Attached at the N-Terminus of an α-Tetrapeptide.

The solid-phase synthesis of chimera 6 is shown in FIG. 4. With reference to FIG. 4, the scheme shows the solid phase synthesis of α-peptide/oligourea chimera 6 starting from azido building blocks for the elongation of the oligourea part and standard N-Fmoc protected α-amino acid for the elongation of the peptide segment. HBTU=O-Benzotriazole-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-uronium-hexafluoro-phosphate; DIPEA=diisopropylethylamine; Fmoc=Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl; DMF=dimethylformamide; HOBt=1-Hydroxybenzotriazole.

Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) was swelled in DMF (2 mL) for 30 min. All steps were performed under microwave irradiation. All microwave experiments were conducted at atmospheric pressure. The temperature was maintained by modulation of power and controlled with a fiber optic sensor. First Fmoc-group was removed with 20% piperidine in DMF (2 mL), under microwave irradiation (50 W, 50° C., 8 min) Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading), HBTU (0.094 g, 0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading), HOBt (0.038 g, 0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and DIPEA (0.086 mL, 0.496 mmol, 8 eq relative to the resin loading) were dissolved in DMF and after 5 min. the mixture was added into the reaction vessel (CEM). The vessel was then placed inside the microwave reactor (CEM Discover) and irradiated (50 W, 50° C., 10 min) After that, the resin was filtered and washed with DMF (4×2 mL). Fmoc was deprotected with 20% piperidine in DMF (2 mL), under microwave irradiation (50 W, 50° C., 8 min) All steps involving α-AA were monitored by Kaiser test. Activated N₃-BB (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading) was dissolved in DMF (2 mL) and was added to the reaction vessel, followed by DIPEA (0.065 mL, 0.372 mmol, 6 eq relative to the resin loading). The reaction was performed under microwave irradiation (50 W, 50° C., 20 min) After 20 min., the resin was filtered and washed with DMF (4×2 mL). The reduction of azide group was performed in a mixture of 1,4-dioxane:H₂O (7:3 v/v), so before the reaction, the resin was washed with this solvents' mixture. Then the Staudinger reaction was performed under the microwave conditions (50 W, 50° C., 30 min.) in 1,4-dioxane:H₂O (2 mL) and with 1M PMe₃ solution in THF (0.62 mL, 0.62 mmol, 10 eq relative to the resin loading) as the reducing agent. After the reaction, the resin was filtered and washed with 1,4-dioxane:H₂O (1×2 mL) and DMF (4×2 mL). All steps involving succinimidyl activated carbamates were monitored by chloranil test. Boc-Val succinimidyl carbamate (0.064 g, 0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading) was used as N-terminal residue. It was dissolved in DMF (2 mL) and added to the resin, followed by DIPEA (0.065 mL, 0.372 mmol, 6 eq relative to the resin loading). The coupling reaction was performed under the same conditions as N₃-BB coupling (50 W, 50° C., 20 min.). When the synthesis was finished, the resin was transferred into the syringe with frit, washed with DMF (5×2 mL), DCM (5×2 mL), Et₂O (5×2 mL) and dried in the desiccator.

Before the cleavage step, the resin was swelled in DCM (2 mL) for 2 h. The cleavage was performed under mild acidic conditions, with 1% TFA in DCM (1 mL) for 2 min. This step was repeated 10 times. After every 2 min., the resin was filtered directly into the solution of 10% pyridine in MeOH (2 mL) to neutralize the acid. The residual foldamer was washed out from the resin with DCM (2×3 mL), MeOH (3×2 mL), DCM (2×3 mL). The mixture was concentrated to about 5% of the volume and cooled in ice/water bath. H₂O was added to precipitate the product as a creamy solid. The precipitation was filtered and washed few times with H₂O, dried in the desiccator. The product was purified by the flash chromatography (MeOH/DCM 95:5, 92:8). 26.5 mg of oligomer 6 was obtained, with total yield 35%.

Analytical Data for Compound 6.

¹H NMR: (400 MHz, CD₃OH) δ=9.05 (d, J=6.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.54 (d, J=6.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.58 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.33 (s, 1H, NH), 7.12 (s, 2H, NH), 6.71-6.58 (m, 4H, NH), 6.48 (m, 1H, NH), 6.25 (d, J=10.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.07-6.02 (m, 2H, NH), 5.98 (d, J=10.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 5.96-5.90 (m, 2H, NH), 5.86 (m, 1H, NH), 4.33-4.23 (m3, CHN), 4.15 (m, 1H, CHN), 4.05-3.86 (m, 4H, CHN), 3.86-3.48 (m, 8H, CHN—CH₂N), 2.63-2.53 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.46-2.27 (m, 5H, CH₂N), 2.13-2.00 (m, 1H, CH), 1.94-1.57 (m, 9H, CH—CH₂), 1.51 (d, 3H, CH₃), 1.50 (s, 9H, Boc), 1.39 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 1.37-1.16 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.10-1.02 (m, 6H, CH₃), 1.00-0.85 (m, 36H, CH₃). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, CD₃OH) δ 178.22, 177.07, 176.02, 174.66, 161.20, 161.18, 161.06, 160.63, 159.89, 159.76, 158.73, 79.41, 56.81, 55.76, 54.08, 52.49, 52.44, 50.73, 48.54, 48.48, 48.33, 48.26, 47.02, 46.27, 45.79, 45.70, 43.46, 43.01, 41.82, 41.20, 40.28, 38.48, 31.15, 31.07, 27.87, 25.34, 25.26, 25.05, 24.85, 22.94, 22.76, 22.68, 22.59, 21.70, 21.10, 20.19, 19.75, 19.18, 19.15, 18.13, 17.68, 17.58, 17.22, 16.90, 16.50. ESI-MS (M_(w) 1226.60): m/z 1226.4 [M+H]⁺, 1248.7 [M+Na]⁺.

Analytical HPLC (Dionex, Macherey-Nagel Nucleodur 100-3 C₁₈ ec column 4.6×100 mm, 3 μm) method: 50-100%/5 min., 100%/5 min., MeOH with 0.1% TFA as solvent B, flow=1 mL, λ=200 nm, t_(R)=7.35 min.

c. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 13-Mer 7 with a Oligourea 6-Mer Segment Attached at the N-Terminus of an α-Heptapeptide (See FIG. 5).

Chimera 7 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by flash chromatography (MeOH/DCM 95:5) 35 mg was obtained with total yield 37%.

Analytical Data for compound 7. ¹H NMR (CD₃OH, 400 MHz) δ=8.75 (s, 1H, NH), 8.09 (d, J=4.0 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.00 (d, J=5.7 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.74 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.65 (d, J=6.2 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.56 (d, J=4.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.40 (d, J=9.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.23 (s, 1H, NH), 6.69 (m, 1H, NH), 6.56 (m, 1H, NH), 6.52-6.41 (m, 3H, NH), 6.15-5.99 (m, 5H, NH), 5.74 (s, 2 h, NH₂), 5.57 (d, J=10.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 4.25-4.15 (m, 2H, CHN), 4.14-3.81 (m, 9H, CHN), 3.79-3.48 (m, 8H, CHN—CH₂N), 2.94-2.81 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.76-2.63 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.63-2.53 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.50-2.33 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 1.96-1.80 (m, 5H, CH), 1.80-1.65 (m, 8H, CH—CH₂), 1.65-1.50 (m, 21H, CH₃), 1.47 (d, J=7.4 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 1.36-1.18 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.08-1.04 (m, 6H, CH₃), 1.03-0.99 (m, 6H, CH₃), 0.98-0.88 (m, 42H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 1523.9) m/z 1524.1 [M+H]+, 1546.2 [M+Na]+; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=8.45 min.

d. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 13-Mer 8 with a Oligourea 6-Mer Segment Attached at the C-Terminus of an α-Heptapeptide (See FIG. 5).

Chimera 8 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by flash chromatography (MeOH/DCM 95:5) 33 mg was obtained with total yield 35.5%.

Analytical Data for compound 8. ¹H NMR (CD₃OH, 400 MHz) δ=9.07 (d, J=6.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.27 (d, J=6.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.91 (d, J=4.4 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.78 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.70 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.67 (d, J=5.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.38 (s, 1H, NH), 7.22 (s, 1H, NH), 7.09 (s, 1H, NH), 3.74-6.58 (m, 4H, NH), 6.51 (m, 1H, NH), 6.27 (d, J=10.7 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.11-5.97 (m, 4H, NH), 5.93 (d, J=10.0 Hz, 1H, NH), 5.87 (m, 1H, NH), 4.32-4.20 (m, 2H, CHN), 4.19-4.07 (m, 3H, CHN), 4.06-3.86 (m, 4H, CHN), 3.85-3.47 (m, 10H, CHN—CH₂N), 2.65-2.54 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.48-2.28 (m, 5H, CH₂N), 2.01-1.71 (m, 8H, CH—CH₂), 1.70-1.59 (m, 5H, CH₂), 1.58-1.45 (m, 18H, CH₃), 1.42 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 1.32-1.13 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.11-1.03 (m, 6H, CH₃), 1.02-0.85 (m, 42H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 1481.9) m/z 761.07 [M+2Na]²⁺, 1482.47 [M+H]⁺, 1504.2 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=8.35 min

Structural analysis by Circular dichroism of chimeric oligomers 5 and 6. Both chimeras 5 and 6 were analyzed by circular dichroism. The spectra recorded in trifluoroethanol (TFE) at a concentration of 0.2 mM (see FIG. 6) reveal a similar shape with a strong positive maximum at 203 nm which is characteristic of the formation of the canonical 2.5-helical structure of oligoureas as previously reported. In both compounds, the signature of possible α-helical structure is largely masked by this strong positive signal.

NMR analysis of compounds 5 and 6. NMR spectroscopy was used to gain additional insight into the folding behavior of 5 and 6 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Spin systems were unambiguously resolved and sequence assigned using a combination of COSY and TOCSY experiments in CD₃OH. Proton resonances for all residues of 5 and 6 are collected in Tables 1 and 2.

TABLE 1 ¹H NMR chemical shifts (in ppm) of chimera 5 in CD₃OH (400 MHz) Term Residue N′H NH ^(α)CH¹ ^(α)CH² ^(β)CH ^(γ)CH ^(δ)CH ^(ε)CH CH NHMe 6.23 Leu^(u) P1 6.08 6.43 3.60 2.67 3.91 1.25 1.72 0.94 Ala^(u) P2 6.45 6.02 3.57 2.38 4.07 1.05 Val^(u) P3 6.55 6.40 3.59 2.44 3.65 1.60 0.90 Leu^(u) P4 6.46 5.98 3.64 2.52 3.94 1.24 1.76 0.93 Ala^(u) P5 6.06 5.64 3.59 2.51 3.89 1.06 Val^(u) P6 5.77 7.26 3.62 2.81 3.99 1.74 0.94 Leu P7 7.50 4.20 1.67 1.80 0.99-0.93 Ala P8 7.87 4.31 1.50 Leu P9 8.50 4.09 1.62 1.74 1.01-0.95 Ala P10 7.35 3.93 1.38 Boc 1.52

TABLE 2 ¹H NMR chemical shifts (in ppm) of chimera 6 in CD₃OH (400 MHz) Residue N′H NH ^(α)CH¹ ^(α)CH² ^(β)CH ^(γ)CH ^(δ)CH ^(ε)CH Term CH NH₂ 7.12 Leu P1 7.58 4.30 1.68 1.80 0.93 Ala P2 8.54 4.28 1.51 Leu P3 9.05 4.26 1.89-1.57 2.06 0.96 Ala P4 7.33 3.93 1.39 Leu^(u) P5 6.65 5.92 3.58 2.31 4.00 1.23 1.77 0.86 Ala^(u) P6 6.48 6.03 3.59 2.34 4.15 1.04 Val^(u) P7 6.62 6.25 3.55 2.41 3.79 1.64 0.93 Leu^(u) P8 6.60 5.98 3.71 2.35 3.96 1.22 1.74 0.94 Ala^(u) P9 5.86 5.91 3.64 2.35 3.90 1.07 Val^(u) P10 6.04 6.67 3.51 2.58 3.63 1.66 0.95 Boc 1.50

The high degree of anisochronicity of diastereotopic main chain CH₂ protons of urea residues (Δδ in the range 0.81-1.36 ppm, see FIG. 6) supports the view that the urea backbone in oligomers 5 and 6 adopts a helical structure. Overall, the higher degree of anisochronicity values in 6 suggests a possible contribution of the peptide part to the stabilization of the helical structure in the oligourea segment. NH signals are dispersed over a wide range of chemical shifts (FIG. 8 a). Signals of amide protons (between 7.2 and 9.2 ppm) are more downfield shifted than urea thus facilitating attribution. ³J(NH, ^(α)CH) coupling constants in a range 5.9 et 7.6 Hz are higher than the mean value generally observed for an α-helix. These observed values could result from some local distortions arising perhaps from a dynamic regime and larger fluctuations around the backbone angles adopted by the chimera in solution than occur for helices. In the case of urea residues, ³J(NH, ^(β)CH) around 10 Hz are indicative of an antiperiplanar arrangement of NH and ^(β)CH protons which is fully compatible with the 2.5-helical structure. Proton/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments (see FIG. 8 b) reveal that amide protons exchange faster than urea ones. Interestingly, in molecule 6, amide protons of α-amino acid residues at the junction with the urea helix (e.g. NH4, NH3) exchange much slower (up to several hours for NH4) than the terminal ones, suggesting that they are involved in H-bonding. Urea NHs also exchange much slower in 6 than in 5 (some being still visible after 47 h), thus suggesting that the helical structure in 6 is more robust.

X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Chimeric Oligomer 5.

Monocrystals of 5 suitable for X-ray diffraction were obtained in DMSO. Crystal data are reported in Table 3. Crystal structures have been solved by direct methods. The structure of chimera 5 show that despite the presence of two different types of backbone (amide and urea linkages, respectively), a single helix is observed that propagates all along the sequence with backbone dihedral angles characteristic of the canonical 2.5-helix of oligoureas for the oligourea part and of the natural α-helix for the α-peptide part. The crystal structure of oligomer 5 (lateral and top views) is shown in FIG. 9 together with a table showing average φ (Phi) and ψ (Psi) angles of α-amino acid residues in the peptide segment, in comparison with typical values found in canonical α-peptide helices, namely the α-helix and the 3₁₀ helix. The helical structure is stabilized by a collection of intramolecular hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) along the sequence. In the oligourea segment, we observe three-centered H-bonds commonly observed in canonical oligourea structures. In the peptide segment, we observe both the formation of 1←3 and 1←4 H-bonds closing 10 and 13 atom pseudocycles, respectively. At the junction between the peptide and oligoura segments, we observe 1←3 type H bonds between C═O(i) and NH(i−3) or N′H(i−3) closing 13 et 15 atom pseudocycles.

TABLE 3 X-ray crystallographic data for compound 5. Compound 5 Formula C74 H113 N17 O12.50 M 1440.81 Crystal system monoclinic Space group P2(1) a/Å 19.3249(9)  b/Å 22.3751(11) c/Å 20.9737(15) α/o 90 β/o 99.620(7) γ/o 90 V/Å³ 8941.49) T/K   566(2) Z 4 ρ/g cm⁻¹ 1.070 size (mm) 0.200 × 0.200 × 0.200 λ/Å 1.54178 μ/mm⁻¹ 0.602 Independent reflections 24491 measured reflections 39652 parameters/restraints 1865/1   R1, wR2 0.1048/0.2653 goodness of fit 0.960

NMR Conformational Analysis of Chimera Oligomers 7 and 8.

¹H NMR spectra have been recorded at 400 MHz in CD₃OH (See FIG. 10). Signals of amide protons (between 7.0 and 9.2 ppm) are more downfield shifted than urea thus facilitating attribution. ³J(NH, αCH) coupling constants in a range 3.9-6.2 Hz for 7 and 4.3-6.8 Hz are very close to the mean value generally observed for an α-helix (between 4.2 and 5.4, see for example: L. J. Smith, K. A. Bolin, H. Schwalbe, M. W. MacArthur, J. M. Thornton, C. M. Dobson, J. Mol. Biol. 1996, 255, 494-506) thus suggesting the formation of a well-defined α-helical conformation for the peptide part. In the case of urea residues, ³J(NH, ^(β)CH) around 10 Hz are indicative of an antiperiplanar arrangement of NH and ^(β)CH protons which is fully compatible with the 2.5-helical structure.

X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Chimeric Oligomers 7 and 8.

Monocrystals of 7 and 8 suitable for X-ray diffraction were obtained in DMSO. Crystal structures have been solved by direct methods. The structure of both chimeras 7 and 8 confirm the formation and the propagation of a single helix all along the sequence with backbone dihedral angles characteristic of the canonical 2.5-helix of oligoureas for the oligourea part and of the natural α-helix for the α-peptide part as previously found for 5. The crystal structure of oligomer 7 and 8 (lateral and top views) is shown in FIG. 11. The helical structures are stabilized by a regular array of intramolecular hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) all along the sequence. The oligourea segment in the two structures show the three-centered H-bonds commonly observed in canonical oligourea structures. In the peptide segment of compounds 7 and 8, we observe both the formation of 1←3 and 1←4 H bonds closing 10 and 13 atom pseudocycles characteristic of 3₁₀ and α-helical structures, respectively. At the junction between the peptide and oligourea segments in 7, we observe 1←3 type H bonds between amide C═O(i) and urea NH(i−3) or urea N′H(i−3) closing 13 et 15 atom pseudocycles similar to what is observed in 5. In the structure of 8, where the oligourea is joint to the N-terminal part of the peptide, the junction is different with 1←3 (between amide NH(i) and urea C═O(i+2)) and 1←4 (between amide NH(i) and urea C═O(i+3)) type H bonds closing 10 et 13 atom pseudocycles, respectively as well as 1←3 (between amide NH(i) and urea C═O(i+2)) H-bonds closing 12 atom pseudo ring.

e. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 9-Mer 9 with an Oligourea 2-Mer Segment Attached at the N-Terminus of an of an α-Heptapeptide (See FIG. 12).

Chimera 9 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by semi-prep HPLC (Dionex, Macherey-Nagel Nucleodur 100-5 C18 ec column 10×250 nm, 5 μm); method: 50%-100% B/10 min, 100% B/10 min, B=MeOH+0.1% TFA, flow=4 ml/min, λ=200 mn, tr=12.5 min. 3 mg was obtained with total yield 5%.

Analytical Data for compound 9. ¹H NMR (DMSO-d6, 300 MHz) δ=8.41 (d, J=7.0 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.08 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.76 (d, J=4.7 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.67 (d, J=3.4 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.64 (d, J=2.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.56 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.11 (s, 2H, NH), 7.01 (s, 1H, NH), 6.87 (m, 1H, NH), 6.64 (m, 2H, NH), 6.55 (s, 1H, NH), 4.15 (m, 9H, CHN), 3.87 (m, 4H, CH2N), 2.74 (m, 1H, CH), 2.29 (m, 1H, CH), 1.98 (m, 2H, CH), 1.61 (m, 3H, CH₂), 1.49 (m, 3H, CH₂), 1.41 (s, 9H, CH₃), 1.39 (s, 3H, CH₃), 1.29 (m, 6H, CH₃), 1.25 (m, 9H, CH₃), 1.21 (m, 3H, CH₃), 1.09 (m, 2H, CH₂), 0.98 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 4H, CH₃), 0.87 (m, 9H, CH₃), 0.83 (m, 6H, CH₃), 0.79 (m, 3H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 982.65) m/z 983.33 [M+H]⁺, 1005.67 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=6.55 min.

f. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 10-Mer 10 with an Oligourea 3-Mer Segment Attached at the N-Terminus of an of an α-Heptapeptide (See FIG. 12).

Chimera 10 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by semi-prep HPLC (Dionex, Macherey-Nagel Nucleodur 100-5 C18 ec column 10×250 nm, 5 μm); method: 50%-100% B/10 min, 100% B/10 min, B=MeOH+0.1% TFA, flow=4 ml/min, λ=200 mn, t_(R)=12.9 min. 9 mg was obtained with total yield 14%.

Analytical Data for compound 10. ¹H NMR (CD₃OH, 300 MHz) δ=9.01 (d, J=6.3 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.24 (d, J=5.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.89 (d, J=4.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.78 (d, J=5.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.71 (d, J=7 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.64 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.26 (s, 2H, NH), 7.15 (s, 1H, NH), 7.07 (s, 1H, NH), 6.71 (m, 2H, NH), 6.09 (m, 1H, NH), 5.94 (m, 2H, NH), 5.79 (m, 1H, NH), 4.37-4.22 (m, 3H, CHN), 4.12 (m, 4H, CHN), 3.95 (m, 2H, CHN), 3.64 (m, 4H, CHN—CH₂N), 3.50 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.59 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.35 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.02 (m, 1H, CH), 1.83 (m, 6H, CH₂), 1.66 (m, 4H, CH), 1.51 (m, 20H, CH₃), 1.42 (m, 3H, CH₃), 1.20 (m, 2H, CH₂), 1.09 (m, 3H, CH₃), 1.04-0.86 (m, 34H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 1110.75) m/z 1111.40 [M+H]⁺, 1133.40 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=7.18 min.

g. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 9-Mer 11 with an Oligourea 2-Mer Segment Attached at the C-Terminus of an of an α-Heptapeptide (See FIG. 12).

Chimera 11 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by semi-prep HPLC (Dionex, Macherey-Nagel Nucleodur 100-5 C18 ec column 10×250 nm, 5 μm); method: 50%-100% B/10 min, 100% B/10 min, B=MeOH+0.1% TFA, flow=4 ml/min, λ=200 mn, tr=12.8 min. 7 mg was obtained with total yield 11%.

Analytical Data for compound 11. ¹H NMR (CD₃OH, 300 MHz) δ=8.71 (d, J=2.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.05 (d, J=4.4 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.85 (d, J=5.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.75 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.66 (d, J=6.3 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.57 (d, J=4.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.30 (d, J=10.9 Hz, 2H, NH), 7.22 (s, 2H, NH), 5.80 (m, 2H, NH), 4.21 (m, 3H, CHN), 3.99 (m, 6H, CHN), 3.58 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 3.64 (m, 4H, CHN—CH₂N), 3.50 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.59 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.35 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.02 (m, 1H, CH), 2.92 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 1.88 (m, 5H, CH), 1.72 (m, 6H, CH₂), 1.59 (m, 4H, CH₃), 1.55 (s, 9H, CH₃), 1.52 (m, 3H, CH₃), 1.47 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 1.31 (m, 2H, CH₂), 1.11 (d, J=5.9 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 0.97 (m, 29H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 1010.69) m/z 1011.60 [M+H]⁺, 1033.67 [M+Na]⁺, 1536.67 [3M+2Na]²⁺; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=7.06 min.

h. Solid-Phase Synthesis of Chimeric α-Peptide/Oligourea 10-Mer 12 with an Oligourea 3-Mer Segment Attached at the C-Terminus of an of an α-Heptapeptide (See FIG. 12).

Chimera 12 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by semi-prep HPLC (Dionex, Macherey-Nagel Nucleodur 100-5 C18 ec column 10×250 nm, 5 μm); method: 50%-100% B/10 min, 100% B/10 min, B=MeOH+0.1% TFA, flow=4 ml/min, λ=200 mn, tr=12.8 min. 7 mg was obtained with total yield 10%.

Analytical Data for compound 12. ¹H NMR (CD₃OH, 300 MHz) δ=8.74 (d, J=2.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.08 (d, J=4.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.97 (d, J=6.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.74 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.67 (d, J=6.0 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.57 (d, J=4.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.40 (d, J=9.1 Hz, 2H, NH), 7.24 (s, 2H, NH), 6.17 (m, 1H, NH), 5.97 (m, 2H, NH), 5.53 (m, 1H, NH), 4.34-4.15 (m, 3H, CHN), 4.14-3.90 (m, 7H, CHN), 3.69-3.46 (m, 3H, CH₂N), 2.87 (m, 2H, CH₂N), 2.58 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 1.89 (m, 6H, CH), 1.73 (m, 5H, CH₂), 1.61 (m, 4H, CH₃), 1.55 (s, 9H, CH₃), 1.53 (m, 3H, CH₃), 1.48 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 1.33 (m, 5H, CH₂), 1.08 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 3H, CH₃), 1.01 (m, 5H, CH₃), 0.94 (m, 30H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 1152.53) m/z 1153.53 [M+H]⁺, 1175.73 [M+Na]⁺, 596.40 [M+2Na]²⁺; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=7.26 min.

i. Solid-phase synthesis of chimeric α-peptide/oligourea 14-mer 13 with an oligourea 6-mer segment attached at the C-terminus and the N-terminus of α-tetrapeptides (See FIG. 12). Chimera 13 was synthesized using the general procedure described above for 6 starting from Sieber resin (100 mg, 0.062 mmol, loading 0.62 mmol/g) and Fmoc-α-AA (0.248 mmol, 4 eq relative to the resin loading) and activated N₃-Building block (0.186 mmol, 3 eq relative to the resin loading). The final product was purified by semi-prep HPLC (Dionex, Macherey-Nagel Nucleodur 100-5 C18 ec column 10×250 nm, 5 μm); method: 50%-100% B/10 min, 100% B/10 min, B=MeOH+0.1% TFA, flow=4 ml/min, λ=200 mn, tr=14.6 min. 8 mg was obtained with total yield 5%.

Analytical Data for compound 13. ¹H NMR (CD₃OH, 300 MHz) δ=9.08 (d, J=6.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.56 (d, J=6.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 8.52 (d, J=3.9 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.88 (d, J=6.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.60 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.52 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 1H, NH), 7.36 (s, 2H, NH), 7.30 (d, J=9.8 Hz, 2H, NH), 7.12 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 2H, NH), 6.68 (d, J=10.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.51 (d, J=7.5 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.44 (d, J=10.2 Hz, 1H, NH), 6.10 (d, J=10.6 Hz, 1H, NH), 5.99 (m, 2H, NH), 5.81 (m, 1H, NH), 5.67 (d, J=10.1 Hz, 1H, NH), 5.37 (m, 1H, NH), 4.29 (m, 4H, CHN), 4.12 (m, 2H, CHN), 3.96 (m, 5H, CHN), 3.77 (m, 1H, NH), 3.61 (m, 6H, CHN—CH₂N), 2.82 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 2.52 (m, 3H, CH₂N), 2.37 (m, 3H, CH₂N), 2.07 (m, 1H, CH₂N), 1.79 (m, 8H, CH—CH₂), 1.65 (m, 4H, CH₂), 1.55 (s, 9H, CH₃), 1.52 (s, 3H, CH₃), 1.41 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 6H, CH₃), 1.31 (m, 8H, CH₂), 1.07 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 6H, CH₃), 1.02 (m, 6H, CH₃), 0.95 (m, 45H, CH₃); ESI-MS (Mw 1594.10) m/z 1594.87 [M+H]⁺, 1617.87 [M+Na]⁺, 798.27 [M+2H]²⁺; HPLC (H₂O (0.1% TFA), MeOH (0.1% TFA); gradient 50-100%, 5 min; 100%, 5 min) t_(R)=7.79 min.

¹H NMR Analysis of Chimera Oligomers 9-13.

¹H NMR spectra have been recorded at 400 MHz in CD3OH (See FIG. 13). As previously reported, signals of amide protons (between 7.0 and 9.2 ppm) are more downfield shifted than urea NHs thus facilitating attribution. ³J(NH, αCH) coupling constants for amino acid residues in a range 4.6-6.7 for 10, 2.8-6.3 Hz for 11 and 2.5-6.1 Hz for 12 are close to the mean value generally observed for an α-helix (between 4.2 and 5.4, see for example, L. J. Smith, K. A. Bolin, H. Schwalbe, M. W. MacArthur, J. M. Thornton, C. M. Dobson, J. Mol. Biol. 1996, 255, 494-506) thus suggesting the formation of an α-helical conformation for the hexapeptide part even when the urea part is limited in size to two (11) or three residues (10 and 12). This result suggests the ability of a small number of urea units to nucleate and stabilize an α-helical conformation when conjugated to short peptides. Chimera 13 is different as the molecule is composed of a central oligourea segment flanked by two short tetrapeptides. In the case of urea residues, 3J(NH, βCH) coupling constants around 10 Hz are indicative of an antiperiplanar arrangement of NH and βCH protons which together with the dispersion of NH signals is fully compatible with the canonical oligourea 2.5-helical structure. Examination of ³J(NH, αCH) coupling constants for amino acid residues reveal values close to 7 Hz significantly higher than in compounds 10-13 suggesting that the α-helical structure in the terminal tetrapeptide segments is less defined.

Thus, the experimental results demonstrate that peptide-oligourea chimeric foldamers (compounds having a polypeptide portion contiguous with or linked to oligomers of amino acids having an N,N′-linked urea bridging unit) demonstrate enhanced or improved properties relative to the parental or cognate “natural” peptide. Oligoureas can be derived from building blocks with any desired amino acid side chain. In particular, the chimeric compounds as described herein demonstrate regular and persistant helical conformations and improved helix stability. Because the chimeric foldamers as described herein can adopt desired secondary structures similar to native peptides, including, e.g., linear, cyclic or helicoidal structures, they can serve as, for example, receptor ligands, effector molecules, agonists, antagonists, modulators of protein-protein interactions, organocatalysts or enzymes.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be understood that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims cover all such variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The contents of all references, patents, pending patent applications and published patents, cited throughout this application are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims. It is understood that the detailed examples and embodiments described herein are given by way of example for illustrative purposes only, and are in no way considered to be limiting to the invention. Various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are included within the spirit and purview of this application and are considered within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the relative quantities of the ingredients may be varied to optimize the desired effects, additional ingredients may be added, and/or similar ingredients may be substituted for one or more of the ingredients described. Additional advantageous features and functionalities associated with the systems, methods, and processes of the present invention will be apparent from the appended claims. Moreover, those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims. 

1. A peptide-oligourea chimeric compound comprising: a peptide portion including at least two α-amino acid residues, coupled to an oligourea portion including at least two residues selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue, γ-amino acid residue, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted 2-aminoethanoxycarbonyl and a combination thereof.
 2. The chimeric compound of claim 1, wherein the oligourea portion is coupled to the amino terminus or carboxy terminus of the peptide portion
 3. The chimeric compound of claim 2, wherein an oligourea sequence is coupled to both the amino and carboxy termini of the peptide portion.
 4. The chimeric compound of claim 1, wherein the compound has at least six residues.
 5. The chimeric compound of claim 1, wherein the N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residue is a residue of formula (II)

wherein the Ra groups are independently selected the group consisting of hydrogen, any side chain of a natural amino acid, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S; mono or bicyclic aryl-C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; C1-C6-alkyloxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, thio, C1-C6-alkylthio, amino, mono ordi-C1-C6-alkylamino, carboxylic acid, carboxamide mono- or di-C1-C6-alkylcarboxamine, sulfonamide, urea, mono-di or tri-substituted urea, thiourea, and guanidine.
 6. A therapeutic composition comprising an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.
 7. A method of treating a disease in a patient comprising administering to an individual in need thereof, and effective amount of the composition of claim 6, wherein the composition is effective in ameliorating the disease or condition.
 8. The chimeric compound of claim 1, wherein the oligourea segment comprises at least two adjacent N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues, at least two adjacent acyclic γ-amino acid residues or both.
 9. The chimeric compound of claim 1, wherein substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-amino-ethyl)carbamoyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamothioyl residues, substituted and unsubstituted N-(2-aminoethyl)formamidinyl residues are independently selected from the group consisting of:

wherein X is independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, NH. wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, any side chain of a natural amino acid, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S; mono or bicyclic aryl-C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; C1-C6-alkyloxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, thio, C1-C6-alkylthio, amino, mono ordi-C1-C6-alkylamino, carboxylic acid, carboxamide mono- or di-C1-C6-alkylcarboxamine, sulfonamide, urea, mono-di or tri-substituted urea, thiourea, guanidine. wherein R¹ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S wherein R² is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S wherein R³ together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which it is attached independently defines a substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s); and substitutents on the cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocycle moieties are independently selected from the group consisting of linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6 alkyl, aralkyl, —O—C(O)—NR¹R² or —N(R¹)—C(O)—O—R¹, C1-C6 alkylene-NR¹R², —(CH₂)_(n)—NH—C(═NR¹)NHR², —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—, ═O, —(CH₂)_(m)— (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO₂— or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH₂)_(n)OH, —(CH₂)_(n)SH, —(CH₂)_(n)COOH, —(CH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)—C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)—OC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)—C(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)—NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂)_(n)—C(O)—NR¹R², —(OCH₂)_(n)—OH, —(OCH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —NO2, —CN, or -halogen.R1 and R2 are each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group wherein R⁴ together with the carbon atoms to which it is attached independently defines a substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s); and substitutents on the cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocycle moieties are independently selected from the group consisting of linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6 alkyl, aralkyl, —O—C(O)—NR¹R² or —N(R¹)—C(O)—O—R¹, C1-C6 alkylene-NR¹R², —(CH₂)_(n)—NH—C(═NR¹)NHR², —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—, ═O, —(CH₂)_(m)— (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO₂— or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH₂)_(n)OH, —(CH₂)_(n)SH, —(CH₂)_(n)COOH, —(CH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)OC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —(OCH₂)_(n)OH, —(OCH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —NO2, —CN, or -halogen.R1 and R2 are each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group wherein V and W are combined, together with the carbon atoms to which they are bonded, and independently define a substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s)
 10. The chimeric compound of claim 1, wherein N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues are independently selected from the group consisting of:

wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, any side chain of a natural amino acid, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S; mono or bicyclic aryl-C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; C1-C6-alkyloxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, thio, C1-C6-alkylthio, amino, mono ordi-C1-C6-alkylamino, carboxylic acid, carboxamide mono- or di-C1-C6-alkylcarboxamine, sulfonamide, urea, mono-di or tri-substituted urea, thiourea, guanidine. wherein R¹ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S wherein R² is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; mono- or -bicyclic aryl, mono or bicyclic heteroaryl having up to five heteroatoms selected from N, O and S wherein R³ together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which it is attached independently defines a substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s); and substitutents on the cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocycle moieties are independently selected from the group consisting of linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6 alkyl, aralkyl, —O—C(O)—NR¹R² or —N(R¹)—C(O)—O—R¹, C1-C6 alkylene-NR¹R², —(CH₂)_(n)—NH—C(═NR¹)NHR², —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—, ═O, —(CH₂)_(m)— (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO₂— or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH₂)_(n)OH, —(CH₂)_(n)SH, —(CH₂)_(n)COOH, —(CH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)OC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —(OCH₂)_(n)OH, —(OCH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —NO2, —CN, or -halogen.R1 and R2 are each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group wherein R⁴ together with the carbon atoms to which it is attached independently defines a substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s); and substitutents on the cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocycle moieties are independently selected from the grou consisting of linear, branched or cyclic C1-C6 alkyl, aralkyl, —O—C(O)—NR¹R² or —N(R¹)—C(O)—O—R¹, C1-C6 alkylene-NR¹R², —(CH₂)_(n)—NH—C(═NR¹)NHR², —NH—, —NHC(O)—, —O—, ═O, —(CH₂)_(m)— (here, m and n are in context, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6), —S—, —S(O)—, SO₂— or —NH—C(O)—NH—, —(CH₂)_(n)OH, —(CH₂)_(n)SH, —(CH₂)_(n)COOH, —(CH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)OC(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —(OCH₂)_(n)OH, —(OCH₂)_(n)O—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—(C1-C6 alkyl), —(OCH₂)_(n)NHC(O)—R¹, —(CH₂O)_(n)C(O)—NR¹R², —NO2, —CN, or -halogen.R1 and R2 are each, within context, H or a C1-C6 alkyl group wherein V and W are combined, together with the carbon atoms to which they are bonded, and independently define a substituted or unsubstituted, monocyclic or bicyclic C3-C10 cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or heterocyclic ring having one or more N, O, or S atom(s) as the heteroatom(s)
 11. The compound of claim 1, wherein the peptide segment comprises an amino acid sequence corresponding to a biologically active peptide or a fragment thereof.
 12. The compound of claim 1, wherein the compound mimics an α-helix chain.
 13. The compound of claim 1, wherein the compound is biologically active.
 14. The compound of claim 1, wherein the peptide or fragment thereof binds a GPCR receptor or a fragment thereof.
 15. A method of synthesizing a peptide/oligourea chimeric compound comprising the steps of: (c) selecting a biologically active polypeptide or biologically active fragment thereof having an amino acid sequence comprising at least two α-amino acid residues; and (d) fabricating a synthetic oligomer wherein: (iv) n successive α-amino acid residues in the biologically active polypeptide or fragment of step (a) are replaced by m residues selected from the group consisting of N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues and acyclic γ-amino acid residues, wherein n is an integer ≧3, m is an integer ≧2 and m≦n−1; (v) between about 3% and about 90% of the α-amino acid residues found in the conformation in the biologically active polypeptide or fragment of step (a) are replaced with residues selected from the group consisting of N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues and acyclic γ-amino acid residues; and (vi) the synthetic polypeptide has a length of from about 6 residues to about 100 residues and comprises at least two residues selected from the group consisting of N-2-aminoethylcarbamoyl residues and acyclic γ-amino acid residues.
 16. The compound of claim 1, wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of: 